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International audience

International audience; The recent expansion of dense GPS networks over plate boundaries allows for remarkably precise mapping of interseismic coupling along active faults. The interseismic coupling coefficient is related to the ratio between slipping velocity on the fault during the interseismic period and the long-term plates velocity, but the interpretation of coupling in terms of mechanical behavior of the fault is still unclear. Here, we investigate the link between coupling and seismicity over the Chilean subduction zone that ruptured three times in the last 5 years with major earthquakes (Maule Mw 8.8 in 2010, Iquique Mw 8.1 in 2014 and Illapel Mw 8.4 in 2015). We combine recent GPS data acquired over the margin (38A degrees-18A degrees S) with older data to get the first nearly continuous picture of the interseismic coupling variations on the subduction interface. Here, we show that at least six low coupling zones (LCZ), areas where coupling is low relatively to the neighboring highly coupled segments can be identified. We also find that for the three most recent Mw \textgreater 8 events, co-seismic asperities correlate well with highly coupled segments, while LCZs behaved as barriers and stopped the ruptures. The relation between coupling and background seismicity in the interseismic period before the events is less clear. However, we note that swarm sequences are prone to occur in intermediate coupling areas at the transition between LCZ and neighboring segments, and that the background seismicity tends to concentrate on the downdip part of the seismogenic locked zone. Thus, highly coupled segments usually exhibit low background seismicity. In this overall context, the Metropolitan segment that partly ruptured during the 2015 Illapel earthquake appears as an outlier since both coupling and background seismicity were high before the rupture, raising the issue of the remaining seismic hazard in this very densely populated area.

International audience

International audience; The 2004 Aceh and 2005 Nias events are the two greatest earthquakes of the past 40 years with a total rupture of 1700 km long and a coseismic slip reaching up to 25 m. These two earthquakes have caused large stress perturbations which significantly altered seismic activity in the Sumatra-Andaman region. Using both detailed mapping of failure planes and various slip distributions, we calculate this stress change along the Sumatra-Andaman-Sagaing fault system from central Sumatra to southern Myanmar. The static Coulomb stress change Delta CFF and the observed seismic activity are in very good agreement with a Coulomb index similar to 20% greater than the one obtained for random events. Compared to previous studies, this high Coulomb Index confirms two important issues on the use of static stress change criterion: unsuited to study near-field aftershocks and only relevant for aftershocks analysis on large and mature faults at a time scale of several months. The calculated Delta CFF distribution suggests that the 2004 and 2005 earthquakes inhibit failure on the North Andaman rift and on the Sagaing fault, while failure is encouraged along the transform Andaman zone, the central Andaman rift, the West Andaman fault, the Sumatra fault system, and the offshore thrust faults west of Sumatra Island. The maximum value of similar to 15-20 bar (1.5-2 MPa) for Delta CFF is reached in the northern part of the Sumatra fault system. This high value together with the lack of major earthquake in the last 170 years result in a high seismic hazard for this region. Our results are also consistent with temporal evolution of both earthquakes' location and focal mechanism prior to and after the events. In particular, we explain the occurrence and the mechanism of seismic swarms observed in the central Andaman rift and along the west Andaman fault. Finally, our calculations reveal that the seismicity in the Andaman rift zone can only be explained if mu' > 0.5. This result leads to two end-member models: one with a constant and high fault friction and one with spatial variations, for which friction may depend on either the nature of the lithosphere (oceanic versus continental) or the fault type.

During the last 10 years, a network of about 30 GPS sites was measured in Djibouti, East Africa. Additional points were also measured in Yemen, Oman, Ethiopia, Iran, and on La Réunion island. Merged with data from the available International GPS Service permanent stations scattered on the different plates in the area (Eurasia, Anatolia, Africa, Arabia, Somalia), this unique data set provides new insight on the current deformation in the Africa-Somalia-Arabia triple junction area and on the Arabian plate motion. Here we show that coherent motions of points in Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, and Iran allow us to estimate a geodetically constrained angular velocity for the Arabian plate (52.59°N, 15.74°W, 0.461°/Myr in ITRF2000). This result differs significantly from earlier determinations and is based upon our vectors in Yemen. They provide new additional data and better geometry for angular velocity determination. Combined with the African and Somalian motions, this new angular velocity results in predicted spreading rates in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden which are 15-20% lower than those measured from oceanic magnetic anomalies and thus averaged over the last 3 Myr. With respect to Eurasia, the geodetic motion of Arabia is also about 30% slower than predicted by NUVEL-1A. On the basis of the kinematic results presented here and on other evidence for a similar slower geodetic rate of the Indian plate, we suggest that the whole collision zone between Africa, Arabia, India on one hand and Eurasia on the other hand has slowed down in the last 3 Myr.