Low‐Frequency Earthquakes and Pore Pressure Transients in Subduction Zones

Temporal variation of large intraplate earthquakes in coupled subduction zones

The focal mechanisms of intraplate earthquakes within subducting lithosphere are frequently used to infer large-scale stress regimes induced by slab-pull, bending or unbending, and lateral segmentation and undulations of the slab . Numerous studies have further postulated that the intraplate activity is influenced by transitory regional stress regimes such as those associated with interplate th...

Dynamic Stress Drop of Recent Earthquakes: Variations within Subduction Zones

Stress drop is a fundamental parameter of earthquakes, but it is difficult to obtain reliable stress drop estimates for most earthquakes. Static stress drop estimates require knowledge of the seismic moment and fault area. Dynamic stress drop estimates are based entirely upon the observed source time functions. Based on analytical formulas that I derive for the crack and slip-pulse rupture mode...

Generation Mechanism of Giant Earthquakes in Subduction Zones with Smaller-Size Interplate Earthquakes During Interseismic Period

Subduction Zones

[1] Subduction zones are where sediments, oceanic crust, and mantle lithosphere return to and reequilibrate with Earth’s mantle. Subduction zones are interior expressions of Earth’s 55,000 km of convergent plate margins and are the geodynamic system that builds island arcs. Excess density of the mantle lithosphere in subduction zones provides most of the power needed to move the plates while in...

Experimental Faulting of Serpentinite During Dehydration: Implications for Earthquakes, Seismic Low-Velocity Zones, and Anomalous Hypocenter Distributions in Subduction Zones

Dehydration embrittlement of serpentine was investigated by employing triaxial deformation experiments at high pressure and temperature (P = 1–6 GPa; T = 550–820oC). A modified Griggs apparatus was used up to 3.4 GPa and a Walker-type multi-anvil apparatus was used at 3.5–6 GPa). The investigated specimen is a serpentinized peridotite from Val Malenco, Italy. Dehydration of the sample under dif...