Probing the Northern Chile Megathrust With Seismicity: The 2014 M8.1 Iquique Earthquake Sequence

Soto H.; Sippl C.; Schurr B.; Kummerow J.; Asch G.; Tilmann F.; Comte D.; Ruiz S.; Oncken O.

Abstract

We used data from >100 permanent and temporary seismic stations to investigate seismicity patterns related to the 1 April 2014 M8.1 Iquique earthquake in northern Chile. Applying a multistage automatic event location procedure to the seismic data, we detected and located 19,000 foreshocks, aftershocks, and background seismicity for 1 month preceding and 9 months following the mainshock. Foreshocks skirt around the updip limit of the mainshock asperity; aftershocks occur mainly in two belts updip and downdip of it. The updip seismicity primarily locates in a zone of transitional friction on the megathrust and can be explained by preseismic stress loading due to slow-slip processes and afterslip driven by increased Coulomb failure stress due to the mainshock and its largest aftershock. Afterslip further south also triggered aftershocks and repeating earthquakes in several EW striking streaks. We interpret the streaks as markers of surrounding creep that could indicate a change in fault mechanics and may have structural origin, caused by fluid-induced failure along presumed megathrust corrugations. Megathrust aftershocks terminate updip below the seaward frontal prism in the outer continental wedge that probably behaves aseismically under velocity-strengthening conditions. The inner wedge locates further landward overlying the megathrust's seismogenic zone. Further downdip, aftershocks anticorrelate with the two major afterslip patches resolved geodetically and partially correlate with increased Coulomb failure stress, overall indicating heterogeneous frictional behavior. A region of sparse seismicity at 40- to 50-km depth is followed by the deepest plate interface aftershocks at 55- to 65-km depth, which occur in two clusters of significantly different dip.

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Título según WOS: Probing the Northern Chile Megathrust With Seismicity: The 2014 M8.1 Iquique Earthquake Sequence
Título según SCOPUS: Probing the Northern Chile Megathrust With Seismicity: The 2014 M8.1 Iquique Earthquake Sequence
Título de la Revista: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
Volumen: 124
Número: 12
Editorial: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION
Fecha de publicación: 2019
Página de inicio: 12935
Página final: 12954
Idioma: English
DOI:

10.1029/2019JB017794

Notas: ISI, SCOPUS