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The stress regime patterns of high-seismically active regions within the western part of the India–Eurasia collision, spanning from 67° E to 83° E and 27° N to 39° N, are elucidated through analysis of 684 Focal Mechanism Solutions from 1962 to 2021. Eighteen seismically active zones used for the stress tensor inversion, are defined based on the spatial extent of the seismicity, the depth distribution of seismic events, focal mechanism studies, and seismotectonics of the region. The defined regimes are: (1) Sulaiman Ranges and Lobe Region, (2) Hindukush, (3) Pamir, (4) Nanga Parbat Syntaxis, (5) Hazara Syntaxis, (6) Kashmir–Zanskar region, (7) Kangra–Chamba, (8) Kinnaur and Kaurik–Chango fault zone (KCFZ), (9) Garhwal, (10) Kumaon, (11) Karakoram fault zone, and (12) Gozha–Ashikule fault zone. Seismicity is reported only in the crust or up to mid-crust in most of the regions, except for the Pamir and Hindukush, where the seismicity can be observed down to 160 and 280 km, respectively. We report a clockwise rotation of the maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) of about 42° and 21° in the Hindukush and Pamir regions, respectively. with increasing focal depths from north west to north. The region where major and strong earthquakes occur indicates pure compressive regimes. Most of the zones support transpressive and transtensional tectonics with a few zones by normal and strike-slip fault regimes. Regions like Nanga Parbat syntaxis, Kinnaur, KCFZ, and Zanskar are exceptions, where extensional and transformational tectonic features dominate. Plate convergence force has less effect on defining the stress regime in the Karakoram fault zone and Gozha–Ashikule regions, which display transtensional and pure extensional regimes, respectively. Underthrusting of the Indian plate through complex tectonics is indicated by dominant compression stresses with evidences of normal, strike-slip, and oblique fault mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The M s 7.3 1948 Aşgabat earthquake was one of the most devastating earthquakes of the 20th century, yet little is known about its location, style and causative fault. In this study, we bring together new seismic and geomorphic observations with previously published descriptions of surface rupture and damage distributions to determine the likely source of the earthquake. We determine the epicentre and focal mechanism of this earthquake from digitized historical seismograms and the relocation of regional seismicity to show that the earthquake most likely nucleated close to the city of Aşgabat. The earthquake ruptured a right-lateral strike-slip fault to the southeast of the city, which has a clear long-term expression in the landscape, and also likely reactivated a subparallel concealed thrust along the Gyaursdag anticline east of the city. The earthquake potentially also ruptured a right-lateral segment northwest of Aşgabat, which does not have an identifiable expression in the landscape. Using high-resolution satellite imagery and digital elevation models we investigate the geomorphology of active faulting around Aşgabat and adjacent parts of the Köpetdag (Kopeh Dagh) mountain range front, showing that there are significant strike-slip and oblique strike-slip segments adjacent to the city that apparently did not rupture in 1948, and yet show clear geomorphic expression and potential right-lateral displacement of Parthian-era (∼2000 yr) and post-Sassanian era (∼1500 yr) archaeological remains. Luminescence dating of displaced fluvial terraces west of Aşgabat yields a vertical displacement rate of 0.6 mm yr−1, though the strike-slip rate remains undetermined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marmara Region hosts a substantial part of the inhabitants in Turkey, more than 30 per cent of the total population in the cities of Istanbul, Bursa and Kocaeli. This region has experienced several large earthquakes in the past and is still under threat of destructive earthquakes in the future. There, subparallel strands of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) expand into the region, distributing the earthquake hazards across the whole region. Thus, it is a key issue to investigate how the tectonic process is distributed between these subparallel strands to discriminate their individual earthquake hazards. In this context, we used GPS slip rates to quantify the slip partitioning of the subparallel strands of the fault system. In addition to available slip rates compiled by Bulut et al. and Kreemer et al. we analysed 71 GPS sites (51 continuous and 20 campaign-based) to intensify the GPS network in the region. GPS observations reveal 81.7, 7.7 and 10.7 per cent slip ratios for northern, middle and southern strands. These ratios are also verified by the time series analysis of continuous GPS stations, leading us to the conclusion that the northern strand of the NAF hosts substantially shorter recurrence periods and, therefore, in the long term, the highest earthquake hazard in the Marmara Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geodetic networks enable us to investigate interseismic crustal deformation along the northwest Himalaya. Using 144 GNSS surface velocities and a Bayesian inversion model, we estimate the slip rate and fault geometry of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) along six arc-normal transects in the northwest Himalaya. We consider that the fault plane consists of three sections along the décollement, namely the locking zone (0−12 km), the transition zone (10−22 km) and the creeping zone (≥22 km). The MHT is found to be completely locked from the surface down to an average depth of 6 ± 2 km. The locking-to-creeping transition zone along the décollement extends from the edge of the fully locked area to a deeper depth (14 ± 3 km) to the tip of the creeping zone of the MHT (17 ± 2 km) with a slip rate of 1.6 ± 0.9 to 3.7 ± 1.1 mm yr−1. Considering the range of uncertainties between 1−2 mm yr−1 for the GNSS velocities, the inverted slip rate along the transition zone of MHT turns out to be insignificant. Thus, the locking zone along the northwest Himalaya extends from the MFT to ∼111 ± 6 km in the north with a locking depth of ∼17 ± 2 km. The deeper part of the MHT is inferred to be creeping with an average slip rate of ∼19.1 ± 1.9 mm yr−1 along the northwest Himalaya. In addition, we have also illustrated a splay-fault model to account for the fault kinematics along the splay faults and the main décollement. The splay-fault model indicates a distributed slip rate at the locking-to-creeping transition zone and about ∼15 per cent smaller slip rate of the MHT than that of the single-fault model. Further, the checkerboard test and the uniform slip model exhibit the reliability of the current GNSS network and the inversion model (single- and splay-fault models). Overall, the updated fault kinematics inevitably contribute to the improvement of seismic hazard evaluation along the northwest Himalaya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Anatolian Fault is the ∼1200-km-long active continental transform boundary between Anatolia and Eurasia. This strike-slip system initiated around 10–12 Ma and experienced diachronous episodes of strain localization along its strike. The structural evolution of the ∼350-km-long fault segments crossing the North Aegean Sea remains to be accurately investigated. There, the modern North Anatolian Fault is localized along two main branches: the northern branch ends at the North Aegean Trough and the southern branch ends at the Edremit-Skyros Trough. The Evia Basin is located in the North Aegean Domain between the North Anatolian Fault and the Corinth Rift. This study presents seismic reflection lines crossing the aforementioned structures of the North Aegean Domain, which document their subsurface structure and the sedimentary record of their activity since the Messinian. The seismic-reflection data set is tied to regional-scale stratigraphic markers, which constrains the age of main tectonic events related to the formation of the North Anatolian Fault. The seismic-reflection lines show that the two main branches of the North Anatolian Fault became localized structures at 1.3–2 Ma, coevally with the formation of the Evia Basin. Since 2 Ma, the North Aegean Troughs developed as a series of horsetail basins propagating westwards at the termination of the branches of the North Anatolian Fault. On a regional scale, the wide and diffuse North Anatolian transtensive shear zone active from Serravalian to Late Pliocene turned into a narrower shear zone at the two main branches of the North Anatolian Fault since the Early Pleistocene. This abrupt episode of strain localization occurred in the frame of the major Early Pleistocene change in stress regime from NE–SW to N–S extension, which has been observed throughout the Aegean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquakes in the Korean Peninsula often occur in subsurface hidden faults that are hardly identified before the seismic activity. We investigate a midcrustal subsurface hidden fault in a seismically quiescent region of the central Korean Peninsula that produced the 28 October 2022 M L 4.1 earthquake. A combined analysis of seismicity, geophysical properties and geological features constrain the subsurface fault geometry. The midcrustal fault may extend to the lineament on the surface that presents low gravity anomalies. The focal mechanism solutions and seismicity distribution suggest that the lineament may correspond to the surface trace of the fault. Further, the responsible fault is a left-lateral strike-slip fault with dip of 88° and bilateral rupture at depths of ∼12–14 km. The lateral extent of the fault may reach >25 km. A series of foreshocks formed the source zone to induce the main shock. The main shock nucleated at a location of lateral contrasts of heat fluxes and magnetic anomalies in the fault. The strong ground motions by the main shock are amplified by the sedimentary layers in the event site, inducing aftershocks to spread along the fault with time. The fault orientation is laid to respond to the ambient stress field. The Coulomb stress changes induced by the main shock load stress the fault, increasing the possibility of another earthquake occurrence. The study suggests that a combined analysis of seismicity, geophysical properties and geological features may provide constraints on seismogenic subsurface hidden faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use machine-learning and cross-correlation techniques to enhance earthquake detectability by two magnitude units for the earthquake sequence near Musreau Lake, Alberta, which is induced by wastewater disposal. This deep catalogue reveals a series of en echelon ∼N–S oriented strike-slip faults that are favourably oriented for reactivation. These faults require only ∼0.6 MPa overpressure for triggering to occur. Earthquake activity occurs in bursts, or episodes; episodes restricted to the largest fault tend to have earthquakes starting near the southern end (distant from injectors) and progressing northwards (towards the injectors). While most events are concentrated along these ∼N–S oriented faults, we also delineate smaller faults. Together, these findings suggest pore pressure as the triggering mechanism, where a time-dependent increase in pore pressure likely caused these faults to progressively reawaken. Analysis of the 'next record-breaking event', a statistical model that forecasts the sequencing of earthquake magnitudes, suggests that the next largest event would be M L ∼4.3. The seismically illuminated length of the largest fault indicates potential magnitudes as large as M w 5.3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Large continental earthquakes are infrequent, but they are important for understanding active tectonics. Many pre-1990, magnitude greater than 7 earthquakes have not been well documented due to a lack of data. The declassification of KeyHole (KH) imagery provides opportunities for investigating those historical events. In this study, we present new geodetic observations of surface deformation from the 1976 November 24 Ms 7.3 Chaldiran earthquake in eastern Turkey. We use various historical KH imagery and modern Pleiades stereo imagery to determine the coseismic deformation, providing new constraints on the 1976 rupture. Based on the image measurements, we resolve the coseismic slip at depth. The inverted slip from a simple elastic dislocation model, ∼4.0 m at shallow depth of the Hidirmentes segment, is larger than the surface displacement, around 3 m from previous field surveys, suggesting that the coseismic deformation is a combination of slip on the primary fault with 30 ± 16 per cent off-fault deformation. We also measure cumulative offsets at two sites with well-preserved features, and find a constant ratio of horizontal to vertical offsets throughout the past few earthquake cycles. Both the observed constant slip ratio in this study and offset clusters from previous field measurements support that the Chaldiran fault exhibits a characteristic slip behaviour in the late Quaternary. By combining all the geodetic and geological observations in the broader region, we also present a brief analysis of the slip rate of the Chaldiran fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Daliang Shan is a tectonic unit that connects the active southeastern Tibetan Plateau with the stable South China block. As a newly generated (formed later than the Xianshuihe–Xiaojiang active fault system) seismotectonic zone induced by the Tibetan tectonics, the detailed constraints of the crustal deformation are central to the understanding of the kinematics and dynamics of the Tibetan expansion. This paper establishes and analyses a high-spatial resolution global positioning system (GPS) velocity field from a dense GPS network in this region. Our modelling results indicate that, in contrast to the equivalent sinistral strike-slip rate of approximately 5 mm yr–1 on the Anninghe–Zemuhe and Daliangshan faults, their inferred interseismic locking depth varies within a large range. The southern segment of the Anninghe Fault and the middle segment of the Daliangshan Fault have deep locking depths of ∼13 km, indicating that the seismic risk is high in these areas. In addition, the detectable counter-clockwise rotation rate of 0.35 ± 0.12° Myr–1 of the Mabian block makes a significant contribution of ∼50 per cent to the strike-slip motion on its boundary faults. This counter-clockwise rotation may be induced by a left-lateral shear gradient with southeastward motion relative to the South China-fixed reference frame, indicating the significance of a simple-shear pattern in exploring the kinematics of the encroachment of the Tibetan tectonics upon a stable block (craton). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal structure of the Clark fault in the trifurcation area of the San Jacinto fault zone is imaged using seismograms recorded by a dense linear array (Jackass Flat, JF) crossing the surface trace of the fault and an adjacent array (TR) to the SW. Delay times between phase arrivals associated with ∼3500 local earthquakes and nine teleseismic events are used to estimate velocity variations within the arrays. The teleseismic P waves travel faster beneath the TR than the JF array, in contrast to larger scale tomographic results. Statistical analysis of local P-wave delay times indicates that the entire JF array, with an aperture of ∼400 m, is inside a low-velocity damage zone. This low-velocity zone is bounded on the NE side by a shallow bimaterial interface generating fault zone head waves, and it contains an inner zone of more intense damage generating fault zone trapped waves. The P-wave velocity contrast across the local bounding bimaterial interface is 10-15 per cent. The trapping structure is associated with a width of ∼200 m, S-wave velocity reduction of ∼35 per cent with respect to the surrounding rock, Q-value of ∼20 and depth of ∼3.5 km. The imaging results suggest that the main seismogenic fault is near the SW end of the JF array, in agreement with a prominent geomorphologic feature. The existence of intense local damage on the crustal block with faster larger scale velocity at depth is consistent with common propagation of earthquake ruptures in the area to the NW.

We combine Global Positioning System (GPS) velocity field with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) results to study the interseismic deformation across the western Altyn Tagh fault (ATF) at longitude 86° E. GPS and InSAR data are consistent after correcting for the contribution from vertical deformation in the InSAR line-of-sight map. InSAR and GPS data identify an area of ∼2 mm a−1 sinistral shear and ∼6 mm a−1 of NS shortening located ∼150 km south of the ATF near the Manyi fault system. Excluding the data located in that area, Bayesian inversion of a 2-D profile across the ATF indicate a locking depth of 14.8 ± 3.5 km and a slip rate of 8.0 ± 0.4 mm a−1, lying at the lower range of previously published estimates. In addition, we find no significant offset between the fault at depth and the surface fault trace and no asymmetry of the interseismic profile that implicitly reveal lateral variations of the elastic strength across the ATF. Detailed analysis of InSAR profile across the fault show no distinguishable surface creep along the western ATF. Our study highlights how different data sets, data selection and model assumption might impact results on the ATF slip rate, locking depth and rheological contrast across the fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault system has been extensively studied in the past, little has been known about the present-day kinematics of its southernmost portion that is offshore in the Gulf of Aqaba. Here, we present a new GPS velocity field based on three surveys conducted between 2015 and 2019 at 30 campaign sites, complemented by 11 permanent stations operating near the gulf coast. Interseismic models of strain accumulation indicate a slip rate of |$4.9^{+0.9}_{-0.6}~\mathrm{ mm}\,\mathrm{ yr}^{-1}$| and a locking depth of |$6.8^{+3.5}_{-3.1}~\mathrm{ km}$| in the gulf's northern region. Our results further indicate an apparent reduction of the locking depth from the inland portion of the DST towards its southern junction with the Red Sea rift. Our modelling results reveal a small systematic left-lateral residual motion that we postulate is caused by, at least in part, late post-seismic transient motion from the 1995 M W 7.2 Nuweiba earthquake. Estimates of the moment accumulation rate on the main faults in the gulf, other than the one that ruptured in 1995, suggest that they might be near the end of their current interseismic period, implying elevated seismic hazard in the gulf area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on fault zone structure is essential for our understanding of earthquake mechanics, continental deformation and seismic hazard. We use the scattered seismic wavefield to study the subsurface structure of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in the region of the 1999 İzmit and Düzce ruptures using data from an 18-month dense deployment of seismometers with a nominal station spacing of 7 km. Using the forward- and back-scattered energy that follows the direct P -wave arrival from teleseismic earthquakes, we apply a scattered wave inversion approach and are able to resolve changes in lithospheric structure on a scale of 10 km or less in an area of about 130 km by 100 km across the NAFZ. We find several crustal interfaces that are laterally incoherent beneath the surface strands of the NAFZ and evidence for contrasting crustal structures either side of the NAFZ, consistent with the presence of juxtaposed crustal blocks and ancient suture zones. Although the two strands of the NAFZ in the study region strike roughly east–west, we detect strong variations in structure both north–south, across boundaries of the major blocks, and east–west, parallel to the strike of the NAFZ. The surface expression of the two strands of the NAFZ is coincident with changes on main interfaces and interface terminations throughout the crust and into the upper mantle in the tomographic sections. We show that a dense passive network of seismometers is able to capture information from the scattered seismic wavefield and, using a tomographic approach, to resolve the fine scale structure of crust and lithospheric mantle even in geologically complex regions. Our results show that major shear zones exist beneath the NAFZ throughout the crust and into the lithospheric mantle, suggesting a strong coupling of strain at these depths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Marmara Sea region hosts the northwestern branch of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) with its known seismic gap between the 1912 Ganos (M w 7.2) and 1999 Izmit (M w 7.4) major devastating earthquakes and thus poses a significant seismic hazard potential for the megacity Istanbul. The 26 September 2019 M w 5.7 Silivri High-Kumburgaz Basin (central Marmara Sea) earthquake ruptured a thrust fault with a minor strike-slip component at the north of the eastern end of this gap relatively in the shallow depth (h = 8 km) range. Thus, in this study, we examine source properties of the main shock activity and coseismic behaviour of the failure, and the pattern of post-seismic deformation based on the aftershock distribution to have an insight into the role of the subsidiary and main fault structures on the crustal kinematics along this complicated branch of the NAFZ. The relocated epicentres are aligned in the E–W direction and tend to propagate towards the segments to the east of the main shock. The detected aftershock activity appears to focus on the east side of the main shock and almost no seismic activity was observed to the west of the epicentre. Independent investigations from coda-wave fitting, point-source, and finite-fault slip modelling agree on the moment magnitude of M w5.7 for the 26 September 2019 main shock. The kinematic rupture model of this event implied that the main rupture nucleated around the hypocentre, and then propagated bilaterally along the E–W direction but with significant progress towards the east. The distribution of the slip vectors indicates that the rupture evolved on a dextral thrust fault plane. The spatio-temporal behaviour of the overall aftershocks sequence, their focal mechanism solutions and our kinematic slip model clearly shows that the existing secondary structures developed in simple shear dextral deformation are likely responsible for the main shock activity. We conclude that such type of deformation model results in a motion in response to the thrust faulting with strike-slip component with an N89°W (271°) orientation and 33°NE dipping at left stepover transpressional region on the NAFZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle image velocimetry (PIV), a method based on image cross-correlation, is widely used for obtaining velocity fields from time-series of images of deforming objects. Rather than instantaneous velocities, we are interested in reconstructing cumulative deformation, and use PIV-derived incremental displacements for this purpose. Our focus is on analogue models of tectonic processes, which can accumulate large deformation. Importantly, PIV provides incremental displacements during analogue model evolution in a spatial reference (Eulerian) frame, without the need for explicit markers in a model. We integrate the displacements in a material reference (Lagrangian) frame, such that displacements can be integrated to track the spatial accumulative deformation field as a function of time. To describe cumulative, finite deformation, various strain tensors have been developed, and we discuss what strain measure best describes large shape changes, as standard infinitesimal strain tensors no longer apply for large deformation. PIV or comparable techniques have become a common method to determine strain in analogue models. However, the qualitative interpretation of observed strain has remained problematic for complex settings. Hence, PIV-derived displacements have not been fully exploited before, as methods to qualitatively characterize cumulative, large strain have been lacking. Notably, in tectonic settings, different types of deformation—extension, shortening, strike-slip—can be superimposed. We demonstrate that when shape changes are described in terms of Hencky strains, a logarithmic strain measure, finite deformation can be qualitatively described based on the relative magnitude of the two principal Hencky strains. Thereby, our method introduces a physically meaningful classification of large 2-D strains. We show that our strain type classification method allows for accurate mapping of tectonic structures in analogue models of lithospheric deformation, and complements visual inspection of fault geometries. Our method can easily discern complex strike-slip shear zones, thrust faults and extensional structures and its evolution in time. Our newly developed software to compute deformation is freely available and can be used to post-process incremental displacements from PIV or similar autocorrelation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of the M w = 6.7 earthquake that took place on 25 October 2018, 22:54:51 UTC, ∼50 km SW of the Zakynthos Island, Greece, are thoroughly examined. The main rupture occurred on a dextral strike-slip, low-angle, east-dipping fault at a depth of 12 km, as determined by teleseismic waveform modelling. Over 4000 aftershocks were manually analysed for a period of 158 d. The events were initially located with an optimal 1D velocity model and then relocated with the double-difference method to reveal details of their spatial distribution. The latter spreads in an area spanning 80 km NNW–SSE and ∼55 km WSW–ENE. Certain parts of the aftershock zone present strong spatial clustering, mainly to the north, close to Zakynthos Island, and at the southernmost edge of the sequence. Focal mechanisms were determined for 61 significant aftershocks using regional waveform modelling. The results revealed characteristics similar to the main shock, with few aftershocks exhibiting strike-slip faulting at steeper dip angles, possibly related to splay faults on the accretionary prism. The slip vectors that correspond to the east-dipping planes are compatible with the long-term plate convergence and with the direction of coseismic displacement on the Zakynthos Island. Fault-plane solutions in the broader study area were inverted for the determination of the regional stress-field. The results revealed a nearly horizontal, SW–NE to E–W-trending S 1 and a more variable S 3 axis, favouring transpressional tectonics. Spatial clusters at the northern and southern ends of the aftershock zone coincide with the SW extension of subvertical along-dip faults of the segmented subducting slab. The main shock occurred in an area where strike-slip tectonics, related to the Cephalonia Transform Fault and the NW Peloponnese region, gradually converts into reverse faulting at the western edge of the Hellenic subduction. Plausible scenarios for the 2018 Zakynthos earthquake sequence include a rupture on the subduction interface, provided the slab is tilted eastwards in that area, or the reactivation of an older east-dipping thrust as a low-angle strike-slip fault that contributes to strain partitioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 2018 September 28, 18:02:44 local time, the magnitude 7.5 earthquake accompanied by a tsunami and massive liquefaction devastated Palu region in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Comprehensive post-disaster surveys have been conducted, including field survey of surface ruptures, LiDAR, multibeam-bathymetry mapping and seismic-reflection survey. We used these data to map fault ruptures and measure offsets accurately. In contrast to previous remote-sensing studies, suggesting that the earthquake broke an immature, hidden-unknown fault inland, our research shows that it occurred on the mappable, mature geological fault line offshore. The quake ruptured 177-km long multifault segments, bypassing two large releasing bends (first offshore and second inland). The rupture onset occurred at a large fault discontinuity underwater in a transition zone from regional extensional to compressional tectonic regimes. Then, it propagated southward along the ∼110-km submarine fault line before reaching the west side of Palu City. Hence, its long submarine ruptures might trigger massive underwater landslides and significantly contribute to tsunami generation in Palu Bay. The rupture continued inland for another 67 km, showing predominantly left-lateral strike-slip up to 6 m, accompanied by a 5–10 per cent dip-slip on average. The 7 km sizeable releasing bend results in a pull-apart Palu basin. Numerous normal faults occur along the eastern margin. They cut the Quaternary sediments, and some of them ruptured during the 2018 event. Our fault-rupture map on mature straight geological fault lines allows the possible occurrence of early and persistent 'supershear', but significant asperities and barriers on segment boundaries may prohibit it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose that strain localization in plate interiors, such as linear belts of intraplate seismicity, may arise from spatial variations in viscous anisotropy produced by preferred orientation of olivine crystals (CPO or texture) inherited from previous deformation episodes in the lithospheric mantle. To quantify this effect, we model the deformation of a plate containing a fossil strike-slip mantle shear zone at different orientations relative to an imposed horizontal shortening, but no initial heterogeneity in the crust. The fossil shear zone is characterized by different orientation and intensity of the olivine CPO relatively to the surrounding mantle, which is isotropic in most simulations. The anisotropy in viscosity produced by the CPO, which remains fixed throughout the simulations, is described by an anisotropic (Hill) yield function parametrized based on second-order viscoplastic self-consistent (SO-VPSC) models. The results indicate that lateral variations in viscous anisotropy in the mantle affect the strain distribution in the entire lithosphere. Reactivation of the strike-slip mantle shear zone and strain localization in the crust above it occur for horizontal compression at 35–55° to the fossil shear plane, with a maximum at 45°. The magnitude of strain localization depends on (i) the contrast in viscous anisotropy and, hence, on the variations in CPO orientation and intensity in the mantle, (ii) the boundary conditions and (iii) the feedbacks between mantle and crustal deformation. For a strong olivine CPO, when the boundary conditions do not hinder shear parallel to the fossil mantle shear zone, strain rates within it are up to a factor 30 higher than in an isotropic surrounding mantle or up to a factor 200 when the surrounding mantle is anisotropic, which results in strain rates up to a factor 10 or up to a factor 100 higher in the crust right above the fossil shear zone. Frictional weakening in the crust faults increases strain localization in the entire lithospheric column. High strength contrasts between the mantle and the ductile crust result in less efficient mechanical coupling, with strong localization in the mantle and lower crust, but weak in the brittle upper crust. Decrease in the crust–mantle strength contrast enhances the coupling and produces more homogenous strain distribution with depth, as well as a time-dependent evolution of strain localization, which reaches a peak and decreases before attaining steady-state. Comparison of seismic anisotropy, regional stress and focal mechanism data in linear arrays of intraplate seismicity, like the New Madrid and South Armorican seismic zones, to our models' predictions corroborates that olivine CPO preserved in fossil lithospheric-scale shear zones may be key for the development of such structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Caribbean and South American tectonic plates bound the north-eastwards expulsion of the North Andean Block in western Venezuela. This complex geodynamic setting resulted in the formation of major strike-slip fault systems and sizeable mountain chains. The 100-km-wide Mérida Andes extend from the Colombian/Venezuelan border to the Caribbean coast. To the north and south, the Mérida Andes are bound by hydrocarbon-rich sedimentary basins. Knowledge of lithospheric structures, related to the formation of the Mérida Andes, is limited though, due to a lack of deep geophysical data. In this study, we present results of the first broad-band magnetotelluric profile crossing the Mérida Andes and the Maracaibo and Barinas–Apure foreland basins on a length of 240 km. Geoelectrical strike and dimensionality analysis are consistent with 1-D or 2-D subsurface structures for the sedimentary basins but also indicate a strong 3-D setting for the Mérida Andes. Using a combination of 2-D and 3-D modelling we systematically examined the influence of 3-D structures on 2-D inversions. Synthetic data sets derived from 3-D modelling allow identification and quantification of spurious off-profile features as well as smoothing artefact due to limited areal station coverage of data collected along a profile. The 2-D inversion models show electrically conductive basins with depths of 2–5 km for the Barinas-Apure and 2–7 km for the Maracaibo basins. A number of resistive bodies within the Maracaibo basin could be related to active deformation causing juxtaposition of older geological formations and younger basin sediments. The most important fault systems of the area, the Boconó and Valera Faults, cross-cut the Mérida Andes in NE–SW direction along its strike on a length 400 km and N–S direction at its centre on a length 60 km, respectively. Both faults are associated with subvertical zones of high electrical conductivity and sensitivity tests suggest that they reach depths of up to 12 km. A sizeable conductor at 50 km depth, which appears consistently in the 2-D sections, could be identified as an inversion artefact caused by a conductor east of the profile. We speculate the high conductivity associated with the off-profile conductor may be related to the detachment of the Trujillo Block. Our results partially support the 'floating orogen hypothesis' developed to explain the geodynamic evolution of western Venezuela and they highlight the relevance of the Trujillo Block in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tectonic slivers form in the overriding plate in regions of oblique subduction. The inner boundaries of the sliver are often poorly defined and can consist of well-defined faults, rotating blocks or diffuse fault systems, which pass through or near the volcanic arc. The Guanacaste Volcanic Arc Sliver (GVAS) as defined by Montero et al. , is a segment of the Central American Forearc Sliver, whose inner boundary is the ∼87-km-long Haciendas-Chiripa fault system (HCFS), which is located ∼10 km behind the volcanic arc and consists of strike slip faults and pull apart steps. We characterize the current ground motion on this boundary by combining earthquake locations and focal mechanisms of the 2016 Bijagua earthquake sequence, with the surface ground deformation obtained from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) images from the ALOS-2 satellite. The coseismic stack of interferograms show ∼6 cm of displacement towards the line of sight of the satellite between the Caño Negro fault and the Upala fault, indicating uplift or SE horizontal surface displacement. The largest recorded earthquake of the sequence was M w 5.4, and the observed deformation is one of the smallest earthquakes yet detected by InSAR in the Central American region. Forward and inverse models show the surface deformation can be partially explained by slip on a single fault, but it can be better explained by slip along two faults linked at depth. The best-fitting model consists of 0.33 m of right lateral slip on the Caño Negro fault and 0.35 m of reverse slip on the Upala fault, forming a positive flower structure. As no reverse seismicity was recorded, we infer the slip on the Upala fault occurred aseismically. Observations of the Bijagua earthquake sequence suggests the forearc sliver boundary is a complex and diffuse fault system. There are localized zones of transpression and transtension and areas where there is no surface expression suggesting the fault system is not yet mature. Although aseismic slip is common on subduction interfaces and mature strike-slip faults, this is the first study to document aseismic slip on a continental tectonic sliver boundary fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most geodetic inversions of surface deformation rates consider the depth distribution of interseismic fault slip-rate to be time invariant. However, some numerical simulations show downdip penetration of dynamic rupture into regions with velocity-strengthening friction, with subsequent updip propagation of the locked-to-creeping transition. Recently, Bruhat and Segall developed a new method to characterize interseismic slip rates, that allows slip to penetrate up dip into the locked region. This simple model considered deep interseismic slip as a crack loaded at its downdip end, and provided analytical expressions for stress drop within the crack, slip and slip rate along the fault. This study extends this approach to strike-slip fault environments, and includes coupling of creep to viscoelastic flow in the lower crust and upper mantle. I use this model to investigate interseismic deformation rates along the Carrizo Plain section of the San Andreas fault. This study reviews possible models, elastic and viscoelastic, for fitting horizontal surface rates. Using this updated approach, I develop a physics-based solution for deep interseismic creep which accounts for possible slow vertical propagation, and investigate how it improves the fit of the horizontal deformation rates in the Carrizo Plain region. I found solutions for fitting the surface deformation rates that allow for reasonable estimates for earthquake rupture depth and coseismic displacement and improves the overall fit to the data. Best-fitting solutions present half-space relaxation time around 70 yr, and very low propagation speeds, less than a metre per year, suggesting a lack of creep propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive Yukon-Tanana terrane (YTT) of the northern Canadian Cordillera has been considered controversially to be part of the allochthonous 'Baja BC' microcontinent or of the para-autochthonous North American cratonic margin during the Mesozoic. Palaeomagnetic methods have isolated a very-stable Early Jurassic thermochemical remanent remagnetization in the terrane's felsic Tatlmain batholith and mafic Ragged stock after correction for: (1) rotation from northeast-plunging anticlinal deformation, (2) northerly dipping tectonic tilt of the host rocks and (3) northwestward regional translation on the adjacent Tintina transcurrent fault zone. The resulting 196 ± 6 Ma Tatlmain and Ragged palaeopoles are 64.9°N, 44.8°E (A 95 = 5.9°) and 64.2°N, 58.5°E (A 95 = 7.7°), respectively. The YTT palaeopoles support para-autochthonous tectonic models that have the YTT: (1) accreting to North America by the Early Jurassic, (2) undergoing non-significant orogen-perpendicular shortening by mid-Early Cretaceous from thrust-faulting, and, then (3) undergoing significant orogen-parallel northward translation of ∼500 km from mid-Early Cretaceous to the Eocene. In contrast, the palaeopoles for Stikinia and Quesnellia of the Intermontane Belt show progressive northwestward translation relative to North America by ∼1000 km and a rotation of ∼55° cw since mid-Early Cretaceous. We speculate that ∼500 km of the northward translation is related to dextral motion on the Tintina and Northern Rocky Mountain Trench fault in British Columbia, and that the clockwise rotation is related to upper crustal tectonics in both Yukon and southern British Columbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palaeomagnetic constraints are essential factors in the reconstruction of the Mesozoic convergence of Eastern Asia blocks. As one of the key blocks, Indochina was constrained only by sedimentary-rocks-derived palaeomagnetic data. To evaluate whether the palaeomagnetic data used to restore the Late Triassic position of Indochina suffered inclination shallowing effects, we conducted a palaeomagnetic and geochronologic study on a coeval volcanic clastic rocks sequence in the western margin of the Khorat Basin, Thailand. The U-Pb SIMS dating on zircons indicates the age of the sampling section is between 205.1 ± 1.5 and 204.7 ± 1.4 Ma. Site mean directions are Dg/Ig = 217.2°/−39.4° (κg = 45.1, α95g = 10.1°) before and Ds/Is = 209.2°/−44.5° (κs = 43.8, α95s = 10.2°) after tilt correction. The new data set indicates a positive reversal test result at 'Category C' level. The characteristic remanent magnetization recorded by the coexistent magnetite and hematite is interpreted to be primary remanence acquired during the initial cooling of the volcanic clastic rocks. The consistence of the corresponding palaeolatitudes derived from the volcanic clastic rocks and the former reported sedimentary rocks suggests that there is probably no significant inclination shallowing bias in the sedimentary-rocks-derived palaeomagnetic data. Therefore, the estimates of the Late Triassic position of Indochina are confirmed to be reliable. The Indochina Block had collided to the southern margin of Eurasia by the Late Triassic and played an important role in the Mesozoic convergence of the Eastern Asia blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low frequency earthquakes (LFEs) that constitute tectonic tremor are often inferred to be slow: to have durations of 0.2–0.5 s, a factor of 10–100 longer than those of typical M W 1–2 earthquakes. Here we examine LFEs near Parkfield, CA in order to assess several proposed explanations for LFEs' long durations. We determine LFE rupture areas and location distributions using a new approach, similar to directivity analysis, where we examine how signals coming from various locations within LFEs' finite rupture extents create differences in the apparent source time functions recorded at various stations. We use synthetic ruptures to determine how much the LFE signals recorded at each station would be modified by spatial variations of the source–station traveltime within the rupture area given various possible rupture diameters, and then compare those synthetics with the data. Our synthetics show that the methodology can identify interstation variations created by heterogeneous slip distributions or complex rupture edges, and thus lets us estimate LFE rupture extents for unilateral or bilateral ruptures. To obtain robust estimates of the sources' similarity across stations, we stack signals from thousands of LFEs, using an empirical Green's function approach to isolate the LFEs' apparent source time functions from the path effects. Our analysis of LFEs in Parkfield implies that LFEs' apparent source time functions are similar across stations at frequencies up to 8–16 Hz, depending on the family. The interstation coherence observed at these relatively high frequencies, or short wavelengths (down to 0.2–0.5 km), suggest that LFEs in each of the seven families examined occur on asperities. They are clustered in patches with sub-1-km diameters. The individual LFEs' rupture diameters are estimated to be smaller than 1.1 km for all families, and smaller than 0.5 km and 1 km for the two shallowest families, which were previously found to have 0.2-s durations. Coupling the diameters with the durations suggests that it is possible to model these M W 1–2 LFEs with earthquake-like rupture speeds: around 70 |$\hbox{ per cent}$| of the shear wave speed. However, that rupture speed matches the data only at the edge of our uncertainty estimates for the family with highest coherence. The data for that family are better matched if LFEs have rupture velocities smaller than 40 |$\hbox{ per cent}$| of the shear wave speed, or if LFEs have different rupture dynamics. They could have long rise times, contain composite sub-ruptures, or have slip distributions that persist from event to event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in situ crustal stress field fundamentally governs, and is affected by, the active tectonic processes of plate boundary regions, yet questions remain about the characteristics of this field and the implications for active faults in the upper crust. We estimate the magnitude of differential stress at seismogenic depth in southern California by balancing in situ orientation indicated by earthquake focal mechanisms against the stress imposed by topography, which tends to resist the motion of strike-slip faults. Our results indicate that most regions require differential stress of at least 20 MPa at seismogenic depth. In the areas of most rugged topography along the San Andreas Fault System, differential stress at seismogenic depth must exceed 62 MPa consistent with differential stress estimates from complimentary methods. This furthermore suggests pore pressure must be less than lithostatic and that coefficient of friction cannot be very low (i.e. coefficient of static friction >0.3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central section of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) displays a range of seismic phenomena including normal earthquakes, low-frequency earthquakes (LFE), repeating microearthquakes (REQ) and aseismic creep. Although many lines of evidence suggest that LFEs are tied to the presence of fluids, their geological setting is still poorly understood. Here, we map the seismic velocity structures associated with LFEs beneath the central SAF using surface wave tomography from ambient seismic noise to provide constraints on the physical conditions that control LFE occurrence. Fault perpendicular sections show that the SAF, as revealed by lateral contrasts in relative velocities, is contiguous to depths of 50 km and appears to be relatively localized at depths between about 15 and 30 km. This is consistent with the hypothesis that LFEs are shear-slip events on a deep extension of the SAF. We find that along strike variations in seismic behaviour correspond to changes in the seismic structure, which support proposed connections between fluids and seismicity. LFEs and REQs occur within low-velocity structures, suggesting that the presence of fluids, weaker minerals, or hydrous phase minerals may play an important role in the generation of slow-slip phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 69 Ma Prospector Mountain stock is located in southwestern Yukon in the northern Canadian Cordillera. This massive monzonite-syenogranite stock is thought to be the intrusive volcanic centre for the surrounding coeval Carmacks Group volcanics. Anomalous palaeomagnetic data from these volcanics have provided the only evidence for the commonly posited hypothesis that the Yukon-Tanana terrane (YTT) was part of the far-travelled (1950 ± 600 km northward) 'Baja BC' terrane from 70 to 50 Ma. All other geologic evidence and averaged palaeomagnetic data support a northward displacement of ~415 ± 15 km. This study provides a direct test of the Carmacks volcanics' estimate and examines the possible causes of its anomalous results. Both the stock and volcanics are unmetamorphosed and rest unconformably on metamorphosed basement rocks of the YTT. Palaeomagnetic and mineral magnetic results from 17 of 19 tested sites (218 specimens) in the Prospector stock and its peripheral skarn isolated a stable thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) in magnetite or low-Ti titanomagnetite that was mostly determined on demagnetization between temperatures of 500 and 580 °C. The TRM has a direction of Decl. = 8.3°, Incl. = 82.4° (N = 17, k = 71.9, α95 = 4.2°), providing a non-significant northwards translation estimate of 70 ± 880 km for the YTT. The normalpolarity TRM direction at Prospector Mountain provides a highly significant palaeomagnetic reversals test with the reversed-polarity TRM of the 70 Ma Swede Dome stock, another volcanic centre of the Carmacks Group about 190 km to the north. The test affirms to a high probability that both stocks carry primary TRMs and have not been tectonically tilted significantly since emplacement. Combining the palaeopoles for these two stocks with that for the 75 Ma Mount Lorne volcanic centre stock about 210 km south of Prospector Mountain yields a combined northward translation estimate of 330 ± 400 km for the YTT since ~71 Ma. This estimate agrees closely with the 415 ± 15 km estimate from geological constraints on strikeslip motion along the inboard Tintina fault zone since ~70 Ma, and with the palaeomagnetic estimate of 650 ± 450 km northward since ~108 Ma from four mid-Cretaceous batholiths. In contrast, the palaeomagnetic directions from four areas of the ~70 Ma Carmacks volcanics are poorly clustered. Nonetheless their estimates of ~1900 km northward have been used for a quarter of a century to support a far-travelled 'Baja BC' tectonic model for the YTT. This paper discusses and concludes that the anomalous far-travelled estimates from the Carmacks volcanics are attributable to the unfortunate additive effects of inadequate averaging of secular variation, dipole offset error, unrecognized primary dip and other possible causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Was the Yukon-Tanana Terrane (YTT), a California-sized part of south-central Yukon, an autochthonous or para-autochthonous part of northern British Columbia in the Early Cretaceous or was it part of a proposed allochthonous 'Baja B.C.' continent offshore of southern California? To answer this fundamental question, a paleomagnetic study has been completed on 347 specimens from 24 sites in the 114.7 ± 1.1 Ma Quiet Lake batholith. This 1300 km2 pluton is composed mostly of massive medium-to-coarse grained biotite quartz monzonite that exhibits no evidence of either deformation or metamorphism, and that intrudes metamorphosed pre-Cretaceous basement rocks of the YTT in southern Yukon. The paleomagnetic analysis utilized thermal and alternating field step demagnetization, and saturation isothermal remanence methods. A well-defined characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) direction was isolated throughout the 500-585 °C temperature range at Decl. = 340.6°, Incl. = 77.4° (N = 14 sites, k = 51.2, A95 = 5.6°). The ChRM resides in magnetite with a low titanium content and is interpreted to be a primary thermoremanent magnetization. After correction for 490 km of geologically demonstrable dextral displacement on the inboard Tintina fault zone, the Quiet Lake batholith's paleopole is not significantly different at 95 per cent confidence from the co-eval 115 Ma reference paleopole for North America, giving non-significant translation and rotation estimates of 1.4° ± 5.1° (1σ) northwestwards and 10° ± 13° (1σ) clockwise, respectively. Thus, this is the first Early Cretaceous paleopole to show clearly that the YTT in Yukon is a para-autochthon that was part of North America's continental margin at that time. Further, after correction for Tintina fault displacement, the eight availableMesozoic YTT paleopoles agree closely with the North American apparent polar wander path (APWP). In contrast, the 22 paleopoles from the Intermontane Belt show the expected behaviour of an allochthonous thin-skin of terranes (i.e. 'Baja B.C.' behaviour) and record ~8° of northward translation and ~50° of clockwise rotation relative to both the YTT and North American APWPs during the Mesozoic and Paleogene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the kinematics of Anatolia plate and the North Anatolian Fault System (NAFS) has been studied extensively, the slip rate and locking depth along the NAFS are usually assumed constant in the analyses due to the lack of sufficient data. This is also partly due to the reasonably good fit of Euler small circle and partly due to the lack of spatial resolution of observations to determine slip rates independently from locking depths. On the other hand, recent geodetic studies show a contrast for locking depth between Marmara and other parts of the NAFS, implying a non-uniform locking depth across the NAFS. In this study, we analyse new GPS data and homogenously combine available data sets covering the eastern part of the NAFS to form the most complete data set. In particular, we incorporate the first results of Turkish Real-Time Kinematic GPS Network (CORS-TR) into our data set. A detailed analysis of three profiles within the NAFS reveals an increase of locking depth in the middle profile to 19.1 ± 3.4 km from 11.9 ± 3.5 km in the easternmost profile while the slip rate is nearly constant (20-22 mm yr-1), which implies a variation of strain rate of ~100 nanostrain yr-1. Assuming a constant locking depth throughout whole NAFS gives an average locking depth of 14.3 ± 1.7 km. Our best estimates of slip rates in block modelling which takes the variation of locking depths into account are in the range between 22.5 and 22.8 mm yr-1 over eastern part of the NAFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1000-km-long left-lateral Dead Sea fault is a major tectonic structure of the oriental Mediterranean basin, bounding the Arabian Plate to the west. The fault is located in a region with an exceptionally long and rich historical record, allowing to document historical seismicity catalogues with unprecedented level of details. However, if the earthquake time series is well documented, location and lateral extent of past earthquakes remain often difficult to establish, if only based on historical testimonies. We excavated a palaeoseismic trench in a site located in a kilometre-size extensional jog, south of the Dead Sea, in the Wadi Araba. Based on the stratigraphy exposed in the trench, we present evidence for nine earthquakes that produced surface ruptures during a time period spanning 5000 yr. Abundance of datable material allows us to tie the five most recent events to historical earthquakes with little ambiguities, and to constrain the possible location of these historical earthquakes. The events identified at our site are the 1458 C.E., 1212 C.E., 1068 C.E., one event during the 8th century crisis, and the 363 C.E. earthquake. Four other events are also identified, which correlation with historical events remains more speculative. The magnitude of earthquakes is difficult to assess based on evidence at one site only. The deformation observed in the excavation, however, allows discriminating between two classes of events that produced vertical deformation with one order of amplitude difference, suggesting that we could distinguish earthquakes that started/stopped at our site from earthquakes that potentially ruptured most of the Wadi Araba fault. The time distribution of earthquakes during the past 5000 yr is uneven. The early period shows little activity with return interval of~500 yr or longer. It is followed by a~1500-yr-long period with more frequent events, about every 200 yr. Then, for the past ~550 yr, the fault has switched back to a quieter mode with no significant earthquake along the entire southern part of the Dead Sea fault, between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. We computed the Coefficient of Variation for our site and three other sites along the Dead Sea fault, south of Lebanon, to compare time distribution of earthquakes at different locations along the fault. With one exception at a site located next to Lake Tiberias, the three other sites are consistent to show some temporal clustering at the scale of few thousands years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indochina block is important to our understanding of the extrusion model as a consequence of the Indo-Eurasia collision. The lithospheric structure of this block, however, remains obscured due to a lack of sufficient instrumentation for high resolution seismic imaging. We present a shear velocity model derived from Rayleigh wave phase velocity tomography using data from recently deployed seismic networks in this region. Our inversion results for lithospheric structure show strong correlations with tectonic history in this block. A prominent slow-velocity anomaly (5 per cent) is observed in northern Indochina along the Ailao Shan-Red River (ASRR) shear zone including Chuxiong basin, Lanping-Simao fold belt and Thailand rift basin, which has seen extensive deformation events since Eocene. The Khorat Plateau basin is characterized by thick continental keel type lithosphere, consistent with palaeomagnetic and geological observations indicating this basin has experienced much less deformation than the surrounding regions. Additionally, our inversion imaged a sharp, lithospheric-scale velocity contrast across the southeastern segment of ASRR, indicative of a thin and thus relatively weak lithosphere southwest of Red River Fault. The thin lithosphere, low asthenospheric seismic velocities we observe and the average crustal thicknesses in the region suggest that the topography high is dynamically supported by upwelling asthenosphere rather than thickening of the crust/lithosphere. Based on the occurrence of Palaeogene volcanism and its timing, we prefer an explanation of thinning of the lithosphere and allowing a throughgoing fault rather than emplacement of a thin terrane to explain the thin lithosphere. Therefore, the anomalously thin lithosphere between Khorat Plateau and the ASRR in conjunction with other geological observations is generally consistent with the extrusion model for Indochina, which requires localization of lithospheric deformation around tectonic blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Terre Adélie and George V Land (East Antarctica) represent key areas for understanding tectonic relationships between terranes forming the Neoarchean-Palaeoproterozoic Terre Adélie Craton (TAC) and the neighbouring lithospheric blocks, together with the nature of its boundary. This region that represents the eastern border of the TAC is limited on its eastern side by the Mertz shear zone (MSZ) separating more recent Palaeozoic units from the craton. The MSZ, that recorded dextral strike-slip movement at 1.7 and 1.5 Ga, is likely correlated with the Kalinjala or Coorong shear zone in South Australia, east of the Gawler Craton and may therefore represent a frozen lithospheric-scale structure. In order to investigate the lithospheric structure of the TAC and the MSZ, we deployed from 2009 October to 2011 October four temporary seismic stations, which sampled the various lithospheric units of the TAC and of the neighbouring Palaeozoic block, together with the MSZ. We used receiver function method to deduce Moho depths and seismic anisotropy technique to infer the upper mantle deformation. Results from receiver functions analysis reveal Moho at 40-44 km depth beneath the TAC, at 36 km under the MSZ and at 28 km beneath the eastern Palaeozoic domain. The MSZ therefore delimits two crustal blocks of different thicknesses with a vertical offset of the Moho of 12 km. Seismic anisotropy deduced from SKS splitting at stations on the TAC shows fast polarisation directions (Φ) trending E-W, that is, parallel to the continental margin, and delay times (δt) ranging from 0.8 to 1.6 s. These results are similar to the splitting parameters observed at the permanent GEOSCOPE Dumont D'Urville station (DRV: Φ 95°N, δt 1.1 s) located in the Palaeoproterozoic domain of TAC. On the MSZ, the small number of good quality measurements limits the investigation of the deep signature of the shear zone. However, the station in the Palaeozoic domain shows Φ trending N60°E, which is significantly different to the Φ trending measurements from stations on the TAC, suggesting that the MSZ may also represent a major frontier between the Neoarchean-Palaeoproterozoic and Palaeozoic terranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most fault systems the direction of the relative plate motion is oblique to the azimuth of the existing faults. Hence, during earthquakes the displacement may be partitioned between several faults that accommodate different components of the total motion. Here, we quantify the effect of the obliquity of the fault system relatively to the plate-motion direction on the distribution of the deformation in the fault system, during distinct periods of the seismic cycle.The 2002 November, Mw 7.9, Denali strike-slip earthquake ruptured 341 km of the Denali fault. The azimuth of the fault varies by more than 50° over the total rupture length, making the Denali fault an ideal system to test the effect of obliquity. From west to east, thrust dominates the first part of the rupture while strike-slip dominates the central and eastern sections. Using a kinematic model that considers the obliquity of the plate-motion direction relative to the local fault azimuth, we explored how much of the far-field tectonic loading is accommodated on the main strike-slip fault during the earthquake, and how much is accommodated by distributed deformation off the main fault, on secondary structures. Using a dataset of 735 focal mechanisms, we represent the deformation using strain rosettes and we compare seismological data with model results using the areal strain. Then we developed the parameter Ca, the coefficient of accommodation, which allows a direct quantification of the efficiency of a fault to accommodate oblique motion.Using these indicators, we show that in oblique setting, such as in the Denali case, the aftershocks and the background seismicity are organized to accommodate a significant part of the deformation that is not taken on the Denali strike-slip fault during the main earthquakes. The westward increase of the obliquity actually increases the amount of such deformation accommodated through distributed thrust faults, leading to the westward widening of the Alaska Range, located north of the Denali fault.Therefore, the strain partitioning between localized slip on pre-established major faults and distributed deformation accommodated through aftershocks and background seismicity on smaller faults (highlighted here by the longer-term topography) seems to be needed during the seismic cycle to accommodate the boundary conditions in such oblique settings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

From December 2006 to November 2011, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) reported 467 earthquakes in a swarm 60 km east of Mt Hood near the town of Maupin, Oregon. The swarm included 20 MD ≥ 3.0 events, which account for over 80 per cent of the cumulative seismic moment release of the sequence. Relocation of 45 MD ≥ 2.5 earthquakes and moment tensor analysis of nine 3.3 ≤ Mw ≤ 3.9 earthquakes reveals right-lateral strike-slip motion on a north-northwest trending, 70° west dipping, 1 km2 active fault patch at about 17 km depth. The swarm started at the southern end of the patch and migrated to the northwest at an average rate of 1–2 m d−1 during the first 18 months. Event migration was interrupted briefly in late 2007 when the swarm encountered a 10° fault bend acting as geometrical barrier. The slow migration rate suggests a pore pressure diffusion process. We speculate that the swarm was triggered by flow into the fault zone from upwards-migrating, subduction-derived fluids. Superimposed on the swarm is seasonal modulation of seismicity, with the highest rates in spring, which coincides with the maximum snow load in the nearby Cascade Mountains. The resulting surface load variation of about 4 × 1011 N km−1 arc length causes 1 cm annual vertical displacements at GPS sites in the Cascades and appears sufficient to modulate seismicity by varying normal stresses at the fault and fluid flow rates into the fault zone. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Geodetic observations across most of the major strike-slip faults show an interseismic strain rate, which presents a sharp localization of elastic shear strain in the fault vicinity (20–60 km). The screw dislocation model of Savage & Burford is commonly used to fit these geodetic data and to retrieve the far field velocity and the locking depth. This model is very popular because of its inherent simplicity to derive fault slip rates, and mostly because it predicts locking depths, which are of the same order of magnitude as the base of the seismogenic zone (5–20 km). A first issue with the screw dislocation model is that localization is paradoxically introduced by imposing a step function in the velocity field at a depth where the crust is otherwise recognized to behave following a viscous rheology. A second issue with this model is that it is not consistent with the rheological model of the crust that is valid for both post-seismic (1–10 yr), interseismic (several thousand years) and long-term geodynamic (several thousand to several million years) timescales. Here we use numerical models to study how alternative and more geologically realistic boundary conditions and rheological structures can lead to the localization of elastic strain at the Earth's surface during the interseismic period. We find that simple elastic models resembling the Savage & Burford model but driven by far field plate velocity are inefficient at localizing strain unless this driving velocity is transmitted by a rigid indentor. We also find that models including a weak viscous heterogeneity beneath the fault zone are able to produce appropriate localization of the deformation near the fault. This alternative class of model is shown to be pertinent in regards to the boundary conditions and geological observations along exhumed ductile strike-slip shear zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2013 January 8 Mw 5.8 North Aegean earthquake sequence took place on one of the ENE–WSW trending parallel dextral strike slip fault branches in this area, in the continuation of 1968 large (M = 7.5) rupture. The source mechanism of the main event indicates predominantly strike slip faulting in agreement with what is expected from regional seismotectonics. It was the largest event to have occurred in the area since the establishment of the Hellenic Unified Seismological Network (HUSN), with an adequate number of stations in close distances and full azimuthal coverage, thus providing the chance of an exhaustive analysis of its aftershock sequence. The main shock was followed by a handful of aftershocks with M ≥ 4.0 and tens with M ≥ 3.0. Relocation was performed by using the recordings from HUSN and a proper crustal model for the area, along with time corrections in each station relative to the model used. Investigation of the spatial and temporal behaviour of seismicity revealed possible triggering of adjacent fault segments. Theoretical static stress changes from the main shock give a preliminary explanation for the aftershock distribution aside from the main rupture. The off-fault seismicity is perfectly explained if μ > 0.5 and B = 0.0, evidencing high fault friction. In an attempt to forecast occurrence probabilities of the strong events (Mw ≥ 5.0), estimations were performed following the Restricted Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence (RETAS) model. The identified best-fitting MOF model was used to execute 1-d forecasts for such aftershocks and follow the probability evolution in time during the sequence. Forecasting was also implemented on the base of a temporal model of aftershock occurrence, different from the modified Omori formula (the ETAS model), which resulted in probability gain (though small) in strong aftershock forecasting for the beginning of the sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analysed locations and focal mechanisms of events with magnitude ≥3, which are recorded by 39 broad-band seismic stations deployed during the North Anatolian Passive Seismic Experiment (2005–2008) around central segment of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF). Using P- and S-arrival times, earthquakes are relocated and a new 1-D seismic velocity model of the region is derived. Relocated events in the area are mainly limited to a depth of 15 km and present seismicity in the southern block indicates widespread continental deformation. In the next step, focal mechanisms are derived from first motions (P, SH) and amplitude ratios (SH/P) using a grid-search algorithm in an iterative scheme. Analysis of our well-constrained focal mechanisms indicate mainly strike-slip motions apart from some normal and few thrust events that are related to complex local fault geometry. Calculated pressure/tension axes are mainly subhorizontal and maximum horizontal stress directions (SH max) are oriented predominantly in NW–SE direction which corresponds well with the slip character of NAF and its splays. In the east, E–W trending splays show right-lateral strike-slip mechanisms similar to the main strand whereas in the west, antithetic N–S trending faults show left lateral strike-slip motions. The seismic cluster that converged near Çorum after relocation indicates a dominant right-lateral strike-slip mechanism along the E–W trending fault. These focal mechanisms are used to perform stress tensor inversion across the region to map out the stress field in detail. Overall, maximum (σ1) and minimum (σ3) principal stresses are found to be subhorizontal and the intermediate principle stress (σ2) is vertically orientated, consistent with a dominant strike-slip regime. These directions point to the clockwise rotation of stress trajectories from N to S where NW–SE directed σ1 in the north turns towards N–S in the south away from the NAF. Moreover, the 200-km-long Ezinepazar–Sungurlu Fault which is previously mapped as an active strike-slip fault is characterized by minor seismic activity and trends perpendicular to the computed maximum stress direction in the southwest away from the main strand of NAF suggesting that the Sungurlu segment is either compressional in nature or inactive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sets of E- to NE-trending sinistral and/or reverse faults occur within the San Andreas system, and are associated with palaeomagnetic evidence for clockwise vertical-axis rotations. These structures cut across the trend of active dextral faults, posing questions as to how displacement is transferred across them. Geodetic data show that they lie within an overall dextral shear field, but the data are commonly interpreted to indicate little or no slip, nor any significant rate of rotation. We model these structures as rotating by bookshelf slip in a dextral shear field, and show that a combination of sinistral slip and rotation can produce the observed velocity field. This allows prediction of rates of slip, rotation, fault-parallel extension and fault-normal shortening within the panel. We use this method to calculate the kinematics of the central segment of the Garlock Fault, which cuts across the eastern California shear zone at a high angle. We obtain a sinistral slip rate of 6.1 ± 1.1 mm yr–1, comparable to geological evidence, but higher than most previous geodetic estimates, and a rotation rate of 4.0 ± 0.7° Myr–1 clockwise. The western Transverse Ranges transect a similar shear zone in coastal and offshore California, but at an angle of only 40°. As a result, the faults, which were sinistral when they were at a higher angle to the shear zone, have been reactivated in a dextral sense at a low rate, and the rate of rotation of the panel has decreased from its long-term rate of ∼5° to 1.6° ± 0.2° Myr–1 clockwise. These results help to resolve some of the apparent discrepancies between geological and geodetic slip-rate estimates, and provide an enhanced understanding of the mechanics of intracontinental transform systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3-D tomographic inversion of first arrival times of shot profiles recorded by a dense 2-D OBS network provides an unprecedented constraint on the P-wave velocities heterogeneity of the upper-crustal part of the North Marmara Trough (NMT), over a region of 180 km long by 50 km wide. One of the specific aims of this controlled source tomography is to provide a 3-D initial model for the local earthquake tomography (LET). Hence, in an original way, the controlled source inversion has been performed by using a code dedicated to LET. After several tests to check the results trade-off with the inversion parameters, we build up a 3-D a priori velocity model, in which the sea-bottom topography, the acoustic and the crystalline basements and the Moho interfaces have been considered. The reliability of the obtained features has been checked by checkerboard tests and also by their comparison with the deep-penetration multichannel seismic profiles, and with the wide-angle reflection and refraction modelled profiles. This study provides the first 3-D view of the basement topography along the active North Anatolian fault beneath the Marmara Sea, even beneath the deepest part of three sedimentary basins of NMT. Clear basement depressions reaching down 6 km depth below the sea level (bsl) have been found beneath these basins. The North Imralı Basin located on the southern continental shelf is observed with a similar sedimentary thickness as its northern neighbours. Between Central and Çınarcık basins, the Central High rises up to 3 km depth below (bsl). Its crest position is offset by 10 km northwestward relatively to the bathymetric crest. On the contrary, Tekirdağ and Central basins appear linked, forming a 60-km-long basement depression. Beneath the bathymetric relief of Western High low velocities are observed down to 6 km depth (bsl) and no basement high have been found. The obtained 3-D Vp heterogeneity model allows the consideration of the 3-D supracrustal heterogeneity into the future earthquake relocations in this region. The topographic map of the pre-kinematic basement offers the possibility to take into account the locking depth variations in future geohazard estimations by geomechanical modelling in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In eastern Turkey, the ongoing convergence of the Arabian and African plates with Eurasia has resulted in the westward extrusion of the Anatolian Plate. To better understand the current state and the tectonic history of this region, we image crust and uppermost mantle structure with ambient noise tomography. Our study area extends from longitudes of 32° to 44°E. We use continuous data from two temporary seismic deployments, our 2006–2008 North Anatolian Fault Passive Seismic Experiment and the 1999–2001 Eastern Turkey Seismic Experiment, as well as from additional seismographs in the region. We compute daily cross-correlations of noise records between all station pairs and stack them over the entire time period for which they are available, as well as in seasonal subsets, to obtain interstation empirical Green's functions. After selecting interstation cross-correlations with high signal-to-noise ratios and measuring interstation phase velocities, we compute phase velocity maps at periods ranging from 8 to 40 s. At all periods, the phase velocity maps are similar for winter and summer subsets of the data, indicating that seasonal variations in noise sources do not bias our results. Across the study area, we invert the phase velocity estimates for shear velocity as a function of depth. The shear velocity model, which extends to 50 km depth, highlights tectonic features apparent at the surface: the Eastern Anatolian Plateau is a prominent low-velocity anomaly whereas the Kırşehir Massif has relatively fast velocities. There is a large velocity jump across the Inner Tauride Suture/Central Anataolian Fault Zone throughout the crust whereas the North Anatolian Fault does not have a consistent signature. In addition, in the southeastern part of our study area, we image a high velocity region below 20 km depth which may be the northern tip of the underthrusting Arabian Plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]