Illuminating subduction zone rheological properties in the wake of a giant earthquake

Deformation associated with plate convergence at subduction zones is accommodated by a complex system involving fault slip and viscoelastic flow. These processes have proven difficult to disentangle. The 2010 8.8 Maule earthquake occurred close to the Chilean coast within a dense network of continuo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science advances 2019-12, Vol.5 (12), p.eaax6720-eaax6720
Main Authors: Weiss, Jonathan R, Qiu, Qiang, Barbot, Sylvain, Wright, Tim J, Foster, James H, Saunders, Alexander, Brooks, Benjamin A, Bevis, Michael, Kendrick, Eric, Ericksen, Todd L, Avery, Jonathan, Smalley, Jr, Robert, Cimbaro, Sergio R, Lenzano, Luis E, Barón, Jorge, Báez, Juan Carlos, Echalar, Arturo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Geophysics
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Summary:Deformation associated with plate convergence at subduction zones is accommodated by a complex system involving fault slip and viscoelastic flow. These processes have proven difficult to disentangle. The 2010 8.8 Maule earthquake occurred close to the Chilean coast within a dense network of continuously recording Global Positioning System stations, which provide a comprehensive history of surface strain. We use these data to assemble a detailed picture of a structurally controlled megathrust fault frictional patchwork and the three-dimensional rheological and time-dependent viscosity structure of the lower crust and upper mantle, all of which control the relative importance of afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation during postseismic deformation. These results enhance our understanding of subduction dynamics including the interplay of localized and distributed deformation during the subduction zone earthquake cycle.
ISSN:2375-2548
2375-2548
DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aax6720