Constraints on fault and lithosphere rheology from the coseismic slip and postseismic afterslip of the 2006 M_w 7.0 Mozambique earthquake

The 2006 M_w 7.0 Mozambique (Machaze) normal-faulting earthquake ruptured an unusually steeply dipping fault plane (~75°). The amount of slip in the earthquake decreased from depths of ~10 km toward the surface, and this shallow slip deficit was at least partly recovered by postseismic afterslip on the shallow part of the fault plane. An adjacent normal fault segment slipped postseismically (and possibly also co-seismically) at shallow depths with a large strike-slip component, in response to the stresses generated by slip on the main earthquake fault plane. Our observations suggest that the fault zone behaves in a stick-slip manner in the crystalline basement, and that where it cuts the sedimentary layer the coseismic rupture was partially arrested and there was significant postseismic creep. We discuss the effects of such behavior on the large-scale tectonics of continental regions, and on the assessment of seismic hazard on similar fault systems. The steep dip of the fault suggests the re-activation of a preexisting structure with a coefficient of friction at least ~25–45% lower than that on optimally oriented planes, and analysis of the deformation following an aftershock indicates that the value of the parameter ‘a’ that describes the rate-dependence of fault friction lies in the range 1 × 10^(−3)–2 × 10^(−2). The lack of long-wavelength postseismic relaxation suggests viscosities in the ductile lithosphere of greater than ~2 × 10^(19) Pa s, and an examination of the tectonic geomorphology in the region identifies ways in which similar fault systems can be identified before they rupture in future earthquakes

Postseismic afterslip 30 years after the 1978 Tabas-e-Golshan (Iran) earthquake: observations and implications for the geological evolution of thrust belts

This paper presents InSAR observations of postseismic afterslip occurring up to 30 yr after the Mw7.3 1978 Tabas-e-Golshan thrust-faulting earthquake in eastern Iran. Comparison of the surface motion from 1996 to 1999 with that from 2003 to 2010, along with information provided by the Quaternary-averaged slip rates of faults in the region, suggests that the imaged slip is transient and decaying through time. Models of the surface deformation field imply slip on faults dipping at 55 ± 10°, reaching from the surface to depths of 4–5 km, and slipping at 5 ± 1 mm yr-1. These faults outcrop on the margins of low anticlinal hills composed of actively uplifting Neogene deposits. When compared with the previously studied main shock focal parameters (slip on a plane dipping at 16 ± 5° with a centroid depth of \~9 km), and the aftershock distribution (a band at \~6–14 km), the InSAR results imply postseismic slip on a high-angle thrust ramp connecting the surface anticlines to the coseismic low-angle fault plane at depth. In one location, both a thrust ramp and also a backthrust are postseismically active. The InSAR observations demonstrate the role of postseismic afterslip in the growth of these commonly observed thrust belt geometries, and highlight that deformation throughout the seismic cycle can contribute to the geological evolution of regions of active faulti

The 2001 M_w 7.6 Bhuj earthquake, low fault friction, and the crustal support of plate driving forces in India

We present a source model for the 2001 M_w 7.6 Bhuj earthquake of northwest India. The slip distribution suggests a high stress drop (~35 MPa) and, together with the depth distribution of aftershocks, that the entire crust is seismogenic. We suggest that the active faults have an effective coefficient of friction of ~0.08, which is sufficient for the seismogenic crust to support the majority of the compressive force transmitted through the Indian lithosphere. This model is consistent with the midcrustal depth of the transition from extension to compression beneath the Ganges foreland basin where India underthrusts southern Tibet. If the coefficient of friction were the more traditional value of 0.6, the lithosphere would be required to support a net force roughly an order of magnitude higher than current estimates in order to match the observed depth of the neutral fiber

Subparallel thrust and normal faulting in Albania and the roles of gravitational potential energy and rheology contrasts in mountain belts

The active tectonics of Albania and surrounding regions, on the eastern margin of the Adriatic Sea, is characterized by subparallel thrust and normal faulting which, we suggest, is likely to be related to gravitational potential energy contrasts between the low-lying Adriatic Sea and the elevated mountainous areas inland. We calculate the magnitude of the force which the mountains and lowlands exert upon each other as a result of this potential energy contrast. It is likely that this force is largely supported by shear stresses on faults, and if so, the average stresses are less than ∼20 MPa. Alternatively, if the mountains are supported by stresses in the ductile part of the lithosphere, the stresses are likely to be ∼80–240 MPa in magnitude. The mountains of Albania are significantly lower than other ranges, such as the Peruvian Andes, which are thought to be extending in response to potential energy differences, and we discuss the relation between Albania and these other, higher, mountain belts from the perspective of differences in lithosphere rheology. We suggest that the lowlands of western Albania and the Adriatic Sea may have been weakened through time as a result of the deposition of large thicknesses of sediment, which lead to heating of the crystalline basement, a reduction in the potential energy contrast that could be supported by the lowlands, and so normal faulting in the mountains of eastern Albania

Fault rheology in an aseismic fold-thrust belt (Shahdad, eastern Iran)

Geodetic observations of aseismic deformation in a thrust belt near Shahdad in eastern Iran have been used to place constraints on the rheology of creeping faults in a thin-skinned thrust belt (\textless5 km thickness). Creep on shallow and high-angle thrust ramps at the range front occurs at a steady rate, in response to the topographic gradient across the thrust belt. Parts of these thrust ramps, and the low-angle basal thrust they connect to at depth in a ramp-and-flat geometry, underwent accelerated creep following the nearby Mw 6.6 Fandoqa earthquake in 1998. Estimates of the rate of fault slip and the driving stresses in these two contrasting times reveal a nonlinear relationship between the stresses and sliding velocity. The degree of nonlinearity rules out bulk shear of a weak layer in the sedimentary section (e.g., evaporites) as the deformation mechanism. Instead, we suggest that the motions are accommodated by slip on faults governed by a friction law with a highly nonlinear relationship between shear stress and slip rate (e.g., as predicted by �rate and state� models). The high-angle thrust ramps are responsible for building aspects of the geological and geomorphological signs of active shortening visible at the surface, but the folding preserved in the geology must be accomplished by other methods, possibly during the rapid transient postseismic deformation following nearby earthquakes

Subduction tractions and vertical axis rotations in the Zagros–Makran transition zone, SE Iran: the 2013 May 11 Mw 6.1 Minab earthquake

The source parameters and slip distribution of the 2013 May 11 Mw 6.1 Minab earthquake are studied using seismology, geodesy and field observations. We observe left-lateral strike-slip motion on a fault striking ENE–WSW; approximately perpendicular to previously studied faults in the Minab–Zendan–Palami fault zone. The fault that ruptured in 2013 is one of a series of ∼E–W striking left-lateral faults visible in the geology and geomorphology. These accommodate a velocity field equivalent to right-lateral shear on ∼N–S striking planes by clockwise rotations about vertical axes. The presence of these faults can reconcile differences in estimates of fault slip rates in the western Makran from GPS and Quaternary dating. The longitudinal range of shear in the western Makran is likely to be controlled by the distance over which the underthrusting Arabian lithosphere deepens in the transition from continent–continent collision in the Zagros to oceanic subduction in the Makran

India‐Asia collision and the Cenozoic slowdown of the Indian plate: Implications for the forces driving plate motions

International audienceThe plate motion of India changed dramatically between 50 and 35 Ma, with the rate of convergence between India and Asia dropping from ∼15 to ∼4 cm/yr. This change is coincident with the onset of the India‐Asia collision, and with a rearrangement of plate boundaries in the Indian Ocean. On the basis of a simple model for the forces exerted upon the edges of the plate and the tractions on the base of the plate, we perform force balance calculations for the precollision and postcollision configurations. We show that the observed Euler poles for the Indian plate are well explained in terms of their locations and magnitudes if (1) the resistive force induced by mountain building in the Himalaya‐Tibet area is ∼5–6 × 1012 N/m, (2) the net force exerted upon the Indian plate by subduction zones is similar in magnitude to the ridge‐push force (∼2.5 × 1012 N/m), and (3) basal tractions exert a resisting force that is linearly proportional to the plate velocity in the hot spot reference frame. The third point implies an asthenospheric viscosity of ∼2–5 × 1019 Pa s, assuming a thickness of 100–150 km. Synthetic Euler poles show that crustal thickening in the Tibetan Plateau was the dominant cause of the Cenozoic slowdown of the Indian plate

Evidence for mechanical coupling and strong Indian lower crust beneath southern Tibet

How surface deformation within mountain ranges relates to tectonic processes at depth is not well understood. The upper crust of the Tibetan Plateau is generally thought to be poorly coupled to the underthrusting Indian crust because of an intervening low-viscosity channel. Here, however, we show that the contrast in tectonic regime between primarily strike-slip faulting in northern Tibet and dominantly normal faulting in southern Tibet requires mechanical coupling between the upper crust of southern Tibet and the underthrusting Indian crust. Such coupling is inconsistent with the presence of active ‘channel flow’ beneath southern Tibet, and suggests that the Indian crust retains its strength as it underthrusts the plateau. These results shed new light on the debates regarding the mechanical properties of the continental lithosphere, and the deformation of Tibet

Controls on the geometry and evolution of thin-skinned fold-thrust belts, and applications to the Makran accretionary prism and Indo-Burman Ranges

The formation of fold-thrust belts at convergent margins is a dynamic process. Accretion of weak sediments to the front of the overriding plate results in crustal thickening and continued flexural subsidence of the underthrusting plate. Fold-thrust belts are often treated as a Coulomb wedge having self-similar geometries with a critical taper, and either a rigid or isostatically compensated base. In this paper we build upon this work by developing a new dynamic model to investigate both the role of the thickness and material properties of the incoming sediment, and the flexure in the underthrusting plate in controlling the behaviour and evolution of fold-thrust belts. Our analysis shows that the evolution of fold-thrust belts can be dominated by either gravitational spreading or vertical thickening, depending on the relative importance of sediment flux, material properties and flexure. We apply our model to the Makran accretionary prism and the Indo-Burman Ranges, and show that for the Makran flexure must be considered in order to explain the dip of the sediment-basement interface from seismic reflection profiles. In the Indo-Burman Ranges, we show that incoming sediment thickness has a first-order control on the variations in the characteristics of the topography from north to south of the Shillong Plateau

The controls on earthquake ground motion in foreland-basin settings: The effects of basin and source geometry

Rapid urban growth has led to large population densities in foreland basin regions, and therefore a rapid increase in the number of people exposed to hazard from earthquakes in the adjacent mountain ranges. It is well known that earthquake-induced ground shaking is amplified in sedimentary basins. However, questions remain regarding the main controls on this effect. It is, therefore, crucial to identify the main controls on earthquake shaking in foreland basins as a step towards mitigating the earthquake risk posed to these regions. We model seismic-wave propagation from range-front thrust-faulting earthquakes in a foreland-basin setting. The basin geometry (depth and width) and source characteristics (fault dip and source-to-basin distance) were varied, and the resultant ground motion was calculated. We find that the source depth determines the amount of near-source ground shaking and the basin structure controls the propagation of this energy into the foreland basin. Of particular importance is the relative length scales of the basin depth and dominant seismic wavelength (controlled by the source characteristics), as this controls the amount of dispersion of surface-wave energy, and so the amplitude and duration of ground motion. The maximum ground motions occur when the basin depth matches the dominant wavelength set by the source. Basins that are shallow compared with the dominant wavelength result in low-amplitude and long-duration dispersed waveforms. However, the basin structure has a smaller effect on the ground shaking than the source depth and geometry, highlighting the need for understanding the depth distribution and dip angles of earthquakes when assessing earthquake hazard in foreland-basin settings