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IntermediateāDepth Earthquakes Controlled by Incoming Plate Hydration Along BendingāRelated Faults
Intermediateādepth earthquakes (focal depths 70ā300 km) are enigmatic with respect to their nucleation and rupture mechanism and the properties controlling their spatial distribution. Several recent studies have shown a link between intermediateādepth earthquakes and the thermalāpetrological path of subducting slabs in relation to the stability field of hydrous minerals. Here we investigate whether the structural characteristics of incoming plates can be correlated with the intermediateādepth seismicity rate. We quantify the structural characteristics of 17 incoming plates by estimating the maximum fault throw of bendingārelated faults. Maximum fault throw exhibits a statistically significant correlation with the seismicity rate. We suggest that the correlation between fault throw and intermediateādepth seismicity rate indicates the role of hydration of the incoming plate, with larger faults reflecting increased damage, greater fluid circulation, and thus more extensive slab hydration