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Aseismic slip and recent ruptures of persistent asperities along the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3098. [PMID: 35654827 PMCID: PMC9163073 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30883-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The frictional properties and slip behaviors of subduction thrusts play a key role in seismic and tsunami hazard assessment, especially in weakly coupled “seismic gaps”. Here, we rely on GPS observations in the Shumagin Gap of the Aleutian subduction zone to derive the slip distribution of the 2020 Mw 7.8 Simeonof Island, Alaska earthquake and of the subsequent afterslip during the first 87-day period. Our modeling results show that the mainshock ruptured at depths of ∼30–40 km beneath Simeonof Island. Kinematic and stress-driven models indicate that the afterslip occurred both updip and downdip of the mainshock rupture. Physically plausible locking models derived from interseismic GPS velocities suggest that the 2020 Simeonof and 2021 Mw 8.2 Chignik earthquakes ruptured persistent asperities on the subduction thrust. We infer that there are several additional persistent asperities at depths of 20–50 km west ∼157°W. However, it is still uncertain whether there are additional locked asperities at shallow depths because of the current lack of geodetic observations close to the trench. Physically plausible interseismic asperity models determined from GPS velocities suggest that the 2020 Mw 7.8 Simeonof and 2021 Mw 8.2 Chignik earthquakes ruptured distinct persistent asperities on the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone
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Churchill RM, Werner MJ, Biggs J, Fagereng Å. Afterslip Moment Scaling and Variability From a Global Compilation of Estimates. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SOLID EARTH 2022; 127:e2021JB023897. [PMID: 35865712 PMCID: PMC9287082 DOI: 10.1029/2021jb023897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Aseismic afterslip is postseismic fault sliding that may significantly redistribute crustal stresses and drive aftershock sequences. Afterslip is typically modeled through geodetic observations of surface deformation on a case-by-case basis, thus questions of how and why the afterslip moment varies between earthquakes remain largely unaddressed. We compile 148 afterslip studies following 53 M w 6.0-9.1 earthquakes, and formally analyze a subset of 88 well-constrained kinematic models. Afterslip and coseismic moments scale near-linearly, with a median Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (CC) of 0.91 after bootstrapping (95% range: 0.89-0.93). We infer that afterslip area and average slip scale with coseismic moment as M o 2 / 3 and M o 1 / 3 , respectively. The ratio of afterslip to coseismic moment (M rel ) varies from <1% to >300% (interquartile range: 9%-32%). M rel weakly correlates with M o (CC: -0.21, attributed to a publication bias), rupture aspect ratio (CC: -0.31), and fault slip rate (CC: 0.26, treated as a proxy for fault maturity), indicating that these factors affect afterslip. M rel does not correlate with mainshock dip, rake, or depth. Given the power-law decay of afterslip, we expected studies that started earlier and spanned longer timescales to capture more afterslip, but M rel does not correlate with observation start time or duration. Because M rel estimates for a single earthquake can vary by an order of magnitude, we propose that modeling uncertainty currently presents a challenge for systematic afterslip analysis. Standardizing modeling practices may improve model comparability, and eventually allow for predictive afterslip models that account for mainshock and fault zone factors to be incorporated into aftershock hazard models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M. J. Werner
- School of Earth SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - J. Biggs
- School of Earth SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Å. Fagereng
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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Mandler E, Pintori F, Gualandi A, Anderlini L, Serpelloni E, Belardinelli ME. Post-Seismic Deformation Related to the 2016 Central Italy Seismic Sequence From GPS Displacement Time-Series. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SOLID EARTH 2021; 126:e2021JB022200. [PMID: 35845177 PMCID: PMC9285078 DOI: 10.1029/2021jb022200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The 2016-2017 Central Italy earthquake sequence struck the central Apennines between August 2016 and October 2016 with Mw ∈ [5.9; 6.5], plus four earthquakes occurring in January 2017 with Mw ∈ [5.0; 5.5]. We study Global Positioning System time series including near- and far-field domains. We use a variational Bayesian independent component analysis technique to separate the post-seismic deformation from signals caused by variation of the water content in aquifers at hundreds of meters of depth and of the soil moisture. For each independent component, realistic uncertainties and a plausible physical explanation are provided. We focus on the study of afterslip on the main structures surrounding the mainshock, highlighting the role played by faults that were not activated during the co-seismic phase in accommodating the post-seismic deformation. We report aseismic deformation occurring on the Paganica fault, which hosted the Mw 6.1 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, suggesting that static stress transfer and aseismic slip influence the recurrence time of nearby (∼50 km further south of the mainshocks) segments. A ∼2-3 km thick subhorizontal shear-zone, clearly illuminated by seismicity, which bounds at depth the west-dipping normal faults where the mainshocks nucleated, also shows aseismic slip. Since afterslip alone underestimates the displacement in the far-field domain, we consider the possibility that the shear zone marks the brittle-ductile transition, assuming the viscoelastic relaxation of the lower crust as a mechanism contributing to the post-seismic displacement. Our results suggest that multiple deformation processes are active in the first 2 years after the mainshocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Mandler
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi”Alma Mater Studiorum Università di BolognaBolognaItaly
| | - F. Pintori
- Istituto Nazionaledi Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)Osservatorio Nazionale TerremotiRomaItaly
| | - A. Gualandi
- Istituto Nazionaledi Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)Osservatorio Nazionale TerremotiRomaItaly
| | - L. Anderlini
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)Sezione di BolognaBolognaItaly
| | - E. Serpelloni
- Istituto Nazionaledi Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)Osservatorio Nazionale TerremotiRomaItaly
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)Sezione di BolognaBolognaItaly
| | - M. E. Belardinelli
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi”Alma Mater Studiorum Università di BolognaBolognaItaly
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Rupture Kinematics and Coseismic Slip Model of the 2021 Mw 7.3 Maduo (China) Earthquake: Implications for the Seismic Hazard of the Kunlun Fault. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13163327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The 21 May 2021 Maduo earthquake was the largest event to occur on a secondary fault in the interior of the active Bayanhar block on the north-central Tibetan plateau in the last twenty years. A detailed kinematic study of the Maduo earthquake helps us to better understand the seismogenic environments of the secondary faults within the block, and its relationship with the block-bounding faults. In this study, firstly, SAR images are used to obtain the coseismic deformation fields. Secondly, we use a strain model-based method and steepest descent method (SDM) to resolve the three-dimensional displacement components and to invert the coseismic slip distribution constrained by coseismic displacement fields, respectively. The three-dimensional displacement fields reveal a dominant left-lateral strike-slip motion, local horizontal displacement variations and widely distributed near-fault subsidence/uplift deformation. We prefer a five-segment fault slip model, with well constrained fault geometry featuring different dip angles and striking, constrained by InSAR observations. The peak coseismic slip is estimated to be ~5 m near longitude 98.9°E at a depth of ~4–7 km. Overall, the distribution of the coseismic slip on the fault is highly correlated to the measured surface displacement offsets along the entire rupture. We observe the moderate shallow slip deficit and limited afterslip deformation following the Maduo earthquake, it may indicate the effects of off-fault deformation during the earthquake and stable interseismic creep on the fault. The occurrence of the Maduo earthquake on a subsidiary fault updates the importance and the traditional estimate of the seismic hazards for the Kunlun fault.
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Jiang J, Bock Y, Klein E. Coevolving early afterslip and aftershock signatures of a San Andreas fault rupture. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/15/eabc1606. [PMID: 33837071 PMCID: PMC8034852 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc1606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Large earthquakes often lead to transient deformation and enhanced seismic activity, with their fastest evolution occurring at the early, ephemeral post-rupture period. Here, we investigate this elusive phase using geophysical observations from the 2004 moment magnitude 6.0 Parkfield, California, earthquake. We image continuously evolving afterslip, along with aftershocks, on the San Andreas fault over a minutes-to-days postseismic time span. Our results reveal a multistage scenario, including immediate onset of afterslip following tens-of-seconds-long coseismic shaking, short-lived slip reversals within minutes, expanding afterslip within hours, and slip migration between subparallel fault strands within days. The early afterslip and associated stress changes appear synchronized with local aftershock rates, with increasing afterslip often preceding larger aftershocks, suggesting the control of afterslip on fine-scale aftershock behavior. We interpret complex shallow processes as dynamic signatures of a three-dimensional fault-zone structure. These findings highlight important roles of aseismic source processes and structural factors in seismicity evolution, offering potential prospects for improving aftershock forecasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junle Jiang
- School of Geosciences, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.
| | - Yehuda Bock
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Emilie Klein
- Laboratoire de Géologie, Département de Géosciences, ENS, CNRS, UMR 8538, PSL Research University, France
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Petrillo G, Lippiello E, Landes FP, Rosso A. The influence of the brittle-ductile transition zone on aftershock and foreshock occurrence. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3010. [PMID: 32541693 PMCID: PMC7295783 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16811-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Aftershock occurrence is characterized by scaling behaviors with quite universal exponents. At the same time, deviations from universality have been proposed as a tool to discriminate aftershocks from foreshocks. Here we show that the change in rheological behavior of the crust, from velocity weakening to velocity strengthening, represents a viable mechanism to explain statistical features of both aftershocks and foreshocks. More precisely, we present a model of the seismic fault described as a velocity weakening elastic layer coupled to a velocity strengthening visco-elastic layer. We show that the statistical properties of aftershocks in instrumental catalogs are recovered at a quantitative level, quite independently of the value of model parameters. We also find that large earthquakes are often anticipated by a preparatory phase characterized by the occurrence of foreshocks. Their magnitude distribution is significantly flatter than the aftershock one, in agreement with recent results for forecasting tools based on foreshocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Petrillo
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Viale Lincoln 5, Caserta, 81100, Italy
| | - Eugenio Lippiello
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Viale Lincoln 5, Caserta, 81100, Italy.
| | - François P Landes
- TAU, LRI, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, INRIA, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Alberto Rosso
- LPTMS, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405, France
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Muto J, Moore JDP, Barbot S, Iinuma T, Ohta Y, Iwamori H. Coupled afterslip and transient mantle flow after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw1164. [PMID: 31579819 PMCID: PMC6760927 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw1164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Modeling of postseismic deformation following great earthquakes has revealed the viscous structure of the mantle and the frictional properties of the fault interface. However, for giant megathrust events, viscoelastic flow and afterslip mechanically interplay with each other during the postseismic period. We explore the role of afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation and their interaction in the aftermath of the 2011 M w (moment magnitude) 9.0 Tohoku earthquake based on a detailed model analysis of the postseismic deformation with laterally varying, experimentally constrained, rock rheology. Mechanical coupling between viscoelastic relaxation and afterslip notably modifies both the afterslip distribution and surface deformation. Thus, we highlight the importance of addressing mechanical coupling for long-term studies of postseismic relaxation, especially in the context of the geodynamics of the Japan trench across the seismic cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Muto
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - J. D. P. Moore
- Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - S. Barbot
- Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T. Iinuma
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Y. Ohta
- Department of Geophysics, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - H. Iwamori
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Japan
- Earthquake Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
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Heterogeneous Behavior of the Campotosto Normal Fault (Central Italy) Imaged by InSAR GPS and Strong-Motion Data: Insights from the 18 January 2017 Events. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11121482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
On 18 January 2017, the 2016–2017 central Italy seismic sequence reached the Campotosto area with four events with magnitude larger than 5 in three hours (major event MW 5.5). To study the slip behavior on the causative fault/faults we followed two different methodologies: (1) we use Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) interferograms (Sentinel-1 satellites) and Global Positioning System (GPS) coseismic displacements to constrain the fault geometry and the cumulative slip distribution; (2) we invert near-source strong-motion, high-sampling-rate GPS waveforms, and high-rate GPS-derived static offsets to retrieve the rupture history of the two largest events. The geodetic inversion shows that the earthquake sequence occurred along the southern segment of the SW-dipping Mts. Laga normal fault system with an average slip of about 40 cm and an estimated cumulative geodetic moment of 9.29 × 1017 Nm (equivalent to a MW~6). This latter estimate is larger than the cumulative seismic moment of all the events, with MW > 4 which occurred in the corresponding time interval, suggesting that a fraction (~35%) of the overall deformation imaged by InSAR and GPS may have been released aseismically. Geodetic and seismological data agree with the geological information pointing out the Campotosto fault segment as the causative structure of the main shocks. The position of the hypocenters supports the evidence of an up-dip and northwestward rupture directivity during the major shocks of the sequence for both static and kinematic inferred slip models. The activated two main slip patches are characterized by rise time and peak slip velocity in the ranges 0.7–1.1 s and 2.3–3.2 km/s, respectively, and by ~35–50 cm of slip mainly concentrated in the shallower northern part of causative fault. Our results show that shallow slip (depth < 5 km) is required by the geodetic and seismological observations and that the inferred slip distribution is complementary with respect to the previous April 2009 seismic sequence affecting the southern half of the Campotosto fault. The recent moderate strain-release episodes (multiple M~5–5.5 earthquakes) and the paleoseismological evidence of surface-rupturing events (M~6.5) suggests therefore a heterogeneous behavior of the Campotosto fault.
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9
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Twardzik C, Vergnolle M, Sladen A, Avallone A. Unravelling the contribution of early postseismic deformation using sub-daily GNSS positioning. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1775. [PMID: 30742131 PMCID: PMC6370855 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39038-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
After large earthquakes, parts of the fault continue to slip for days to months during the afterslip phase, a behaviour documented for many earthquakes. Yet, little is known about the early stage, i.e., from minutes to hours after the mainshock. Its detailed study requires continuous high-rate position time series close to the fault, and advanced signal processing to accurately extract the surface displacements. Here, we use refined kinematic precise point positioning processing to document the early postseismic deformation for three earthquakes along the South American subduction zone (2010 Mw8.8 Maule, Chile; 2015 Mw8.3 Illapel, Chile; 2016 Mw7.6 Pedernales, Ecuador). First, we show that early afterslip generates significant surface displacement as early as a few tens of minutes after the earthquake. Our analysis of the time series indicates that, over the first 36 hours, more than half of the displacement occurs within the first 12 hours, a time window often disregarded with daily positioning. Thus, estimates of coseismic offsets can be biased by more than 10% if early postseismic displacements are acknowledged as coseismic ones. Finally, these results highlight the difficulty to accurately evaluate the different contribution to the seismic cycle budget and thus the associated hazard on faults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Twardzik
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, IRD, Geoazur, UMR 7329, 250 rue Albert Einstein, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560, Valbonne, France.
| | - Mathilde Vergnolle
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, IRD, Geoazur, UMR 7329, 250 rue Albert Einstein, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560, Valbonne, France
| | - Anthony Sladen
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, IRD, Geoazur, UMR 7329, 250 rue Albert Einstein, Sophia-Antipolis, 06560, Valbonne, France
| | - Antonio Avallone
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Centro Nazionale Terremoti, Via di Vigna Murata 605, Rome, 00143, Italy
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Khoshmanesh M, Shirzaei M. Episodic creep events on the San Andreas Fault caused by pore-pressure variations. NATURE GEOSCIENCE 2018; 11:610-614. [PMID: 29937919 PMCID: PMC6008793 DOI: 10.1038/s41561-018-0160-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent seismic and geodetic observations indicate that interseismic creep rate varies in both time and space. The spatial extent of creep pinpoints locked asperities, while its temporary accelerations, known as slow-slip events, may trigger earthquakes. Although the conditions promoting fault creep are well-studied, the mechanisms for initiating episodic slow-slip events are enigmatic. Here we investigate surface deformation measured by radar interferometry along the central San Andreas Fault between 2003 and 2010 to constrain the temporal evolution of creep. We show that slow-slip events are ensembles of localized creep bursts that aseismically rupture isolated fault compartments. Using a rate and state friction model, we show that effective normal stress is temporally variable on the fault, and support this using seismic observations. We propose that, compaction-driven elevated pore fluid pressure in hydraulically isolated fault zone and subsequent frictional dilation cause the observed slow slip episodes. We further suggest that the 2004 Mw6 Parkfield earthquake might have been triggered by a slow-slip event, which increased the Coulomb failure stress by up to 0.45 bar per year. This implies that while creeping segments are suggested to act as seismic rupture barriers, slow-slip events on these zones might promote seismicity on adjacent locked segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Khoshmanesh
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Manoochehr Shirzaei
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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11
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Aseismic transient during the 2010-2014 seismic swarm: evidence for longer recurrence of M ≥ 6.5 earthquakes in the Pollino gap (Southern Italy)? Sci Rep 2017; 7:576. [PMID: 28404990 PMCID: PMC5429810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00649-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In actively deforming regions, crustal deformation is accommodated by earthquakes and through a variety of transient aseismic phenomena. Here, we study the 2010–2014 Pollino (Southern Italy) swarm sequence (main shock MW 5.1) located within the Pollino seismic gap, by analysing the surface deformation derived from Global Positioning System and Synthetic Aperture Radar data. Inversions of geodetic time series show that a transient slip, with the same mechanism of the main shock, started about 3–4 months before the main shock and lasted almost one year, evolving through time with acceleration phases that correlate with the rate of seismicity. The moment released by the transient slip is equivalent to MW 5.5, significantly larger than the seismic moment release revealing therefore that a significant fraction of the overall deformation is released aseismically. Our findings suggest that crustal deformation in the Pollino gap is accommodated by infrequent “large” earthquakes (MW ≥ 6.5) and by aseismic episodes releasing a significant fraction of the accrued strain. Lower strain rates, relative to the adjacent Southern Apennines, and a mixed seismic/aseismic strain release are in favour of a longer recurrence for large magnitude earthquakes in the Pollino gap.
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12
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Lui SKY, Lapusta N. Repeating microearthquake sequences interact predominantly through postseismic slip. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13020. [PMID: 27703151 PMCID: PMC5059473 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying small repeating earthquakes enables better understanding of fault physics and characterization of fault friction properties. Some of the nearby repeating sequences appear to interact, such as the ‘San Francisco' and ‘Los Angeles' repeaters on the creeping section of the San Andreas Fault. It is typically assumed that such interactions are induced by static stress changes due to coseismic slip. Here we present a study of the interaction of repeating earthquakes in the framework of rate-and-state fault models using state-of-the-art simulation methods that reproduce both realistic seismic events and long-term earthquake sequences. Our simulations enable comparison among several types of stress transfer that occur between the repeating events. Our major finding is that postseismic creep dominates the interaction, with earthquake triggering occurring at distances much larger than typically assumed. Our results open a possibility of using interaction of repeating sequences to constrain friction properties of creeping segments. Small repeating earthquakes can be used to understand fault properties such as friction. Here, Lui et al. model the interaction between repeating earthquakes and find that postseismic creep dominates as the mechanism, which may help constrain the frictional properties of creeping fault segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semechah K Y Lui
- Seismological Laboratory, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, MC 252-21, 1200 E California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Nadia Lapusta
- Seismological Laboratory, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, MC 252-21, 1200 E California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.,Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, MC 252-21, 1200 E California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
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13
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Niemeijer AR, Boulton C, Toy VG, Townend J, Sutherland R. Large-displacement, hydrothermal frictional properties of DFDP-1 fault rocks, Alpine Fault, New Zealand: Implications for deep rupture propagation. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SOLID EARTH 2016; 121:624-647. [PMID: 27610290 PMCID: PMC4994769 DOI: 10.1002/2015jb012593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2015] [Revised: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Alpine Fault, New Zealand, is a major plate-bounding fault that accommodates 65-75% of the total relative motion between the Australian and Pacific plates. Here we present data on the hydrothermal frictional properties of Alpine Fault rocks that surround the principal slip zones (PSZ) of the Alpine Fault and those comprising the PSZ itself. The samples were retrieved from relatively shallow depths during phase 1 of the Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP-1) at Gaunt Creek. Simulated fault gouges were sheared at temperatures of 25, 150, 300, 450, and 600°C in order to determine the friction coefficient as well as the velocity dependence of friction. Friction remains more or less constant with changes in temperature, but a transition from velocity-strengthening behavior to velocity-weakening behavior occurs at a temperature of T = 150°C. The transition depends on the absolute value of sliding velocity as well as temperature, with the velocity-weakening region restricted to higher velocity for higher temperatures. Friction was substantially lower for low-velocity shearing (V < 0.3 µm/s) at 600°C, but no transition to normal stress independence was observed. In the framework of rate-and-state friction, earthquake nucleation is most likely at an intermediate temperature of T = 300°C. The velocity-strengthening nature of the Alpine Fault rocks at higher temperatures may pose a barrier for rupture propagation to deeper levels, limiting the possible depth extent of large earthquakes. Our results highlight the importance of strain rate in controlling frictional behavior under conditions spanning the classical brittle-plastic transition for quartzofeldspathic compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. R. Niemeijer
- Faculty of Geosciences, HPT LaboratoryUtrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands
| | - C. Boulton
- Geology and Geophysics, School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - V. G. Toy
- Department of GeologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - J. Townend
- School of Geography, Environment and Earth SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
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Wang L, Hainzl S, Zöller G, Holschneider M. Stress- and aftershock-constrained joint inversions for coseismic and postseismic slip applied to the 2004 M6.0 Parkfield earthquake. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2011jb009017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Ader T, Avouac JP, Liu-Zeng J, Lyon-Caen H, Bollinger L, Galetzka J, Genrich J, Thomas M, Chanard K, Sapkota SN, Rajaure S, Shrestha P, Ding L, Flouzat M. Convergence rate across the Nepal Himalaya and interseismic coupling on the Main Himalayan Thrust: Implications for seismic hazard. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2011jb009071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 341] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Chlieh M, Perfettini H, Tavera H, Avouac JP, Remy D, Nocquet JM, Rolandone F, Bondoux F, Gabalda G, Bonvalot S. Interseismic coupling and seismic potential along the Central Andes subduction zone. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010jb008166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Kanu C, Johnson K. Arrest and recovery of frictional creep on the southern Hayward fault triggered by the 1989 Loma Prieta, California, earthquake and implications for future earthquakes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010jb007927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Pollitz FF, Thatcher W. On the resolution of shallow mantle viscosity structure using postearthquake relaxation data: Application to the 1999 Hector Mine, California, earthquake. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2010jb007405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Near-field postseismic deformation along the rupture of 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and its implications. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-010-3259-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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van der Elst NJ, Brodsky EE. Connecting near-field and far-field earthquake triggering to dynamic strain. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009jb006681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Perfettini H, Avouac JP, Tavera H, Kositsky A, Nocquet JM, Bondoux F, Chlieh M, Sladen A, Audin L, Farber DL, Soler P. Seismic and aseismic slip on the central Peru megathrust. Nature 2010; 465:78-81. [PMID: 20445628 DOI: 10.1038/nature09062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2009] [Accepted: 03/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Slip on a subduction megathrust can be seismic or aseismic, with the two modes of slip complementing each other in time and space to accommodate the long-term plate motions. Although slip is almost purely aseismic at depths greater than about 40 km, heterogeneous surface strain suggests that both modes of slip occur at shallower depths, with aseismic slip resulting from steady or transient creep in the interseismic and postseismic periods. Thus, active faults seem to comprise areas that slip mostly during earthquakes, and areas that mostly slip aseismically. The size, location and frequency of earthquakes that a megathrust can generate thus depend on where and when aseismic creep is taking place, and what fraction of the long-term slip rate it accounts for. Here we address this issue by focusing on the central Peru megathrust. We show that the Pisco earthquake, with moment magnitude M(w) = 8.0, ruptured two asperities within a patch that had remained locked in the interseismic period, and triggered aseismic frictional afterslip on two adjacent patches. The most prominent patch of afterslip coincides with the subducting Nazca ridge, an area also characterized by low interseismic coupling, which seems to have repeatedly acted as a barrier to seismic rupture propagation in the past. The seismogenic portion of the megathrust thus appears to be composed of interfingering rate-weakening and rate-strengthening patches. The rate-strengthening patches contribute to a high proportion of aseismic slip, and determine the extent and frequency of large interplate earthquakes. Aseismic slip accounts for as much as 50-70% of the slip budget on the seismogenic portion of the megathrust in central Peru, and the return period of earthquakes with M(w) = 8.0 in the Pisco area is estimated to be 250 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Perfettini
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, 44 Boulevard de Dunkerque, 13572 Marseille cedex 02, France.
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Tong X, Sandwell DT, Fialko Y. Coseismic slip model of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake derived from joint inversion of interferometric synthetic aperture radar, GPS, and field data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009jb006625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Hearn EH, McClusky S, Ergintav S, Reilinger RE. Izmit earthquake postseismic deformation and dynamics of the North Anatolian Fault Zone. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008jb006026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Barbot S, Fialko Y, Bock Y. Postseismic deformation due to theMw6.0 2004 Parkfield earthquake: Stress-driven creep on a fault with spatially variable rate-and-state friction parameters. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008jb005748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Fukuda J, Johnson KM, Larson KM, Miyazaki S. Fault friction parameters inferred from the early stages of afterslip following the 2003 Tokachi‐oki earthquake. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008jb006166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Helmstetter A, Shaw BE. Afterslip and aftershocks in the rate-and-state friction law. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2007jb005077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Helmstetter
- Laboratoire de Géophysique Interne et Tectonophysique; Université Joseph Fourier and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Grenoble France
| | - Bruce E. Shaw
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory; Columbia University; Palisades New York USA
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Perfettini H, Ampuero JP. Dynamics of a velocity strengthening fault region: Implications for slow earthquakes and postseismic slip. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007jb005398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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