The key role of conjugate fault system in importing earthquakes into the eastern flank of the Red Sea

This study aims to synthesize seismic observations with gravity and magnetic data and to suggest a new scenario on the development of the Harrat Lunayyir (HL) tectonic system on the eastern Red Sea coastline, Saudi Arabia. Gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies distinctly mapped the NE and NW trends, while the InSAR data depict a small NW–SE graben and an NW–SE dyke. High-resolution relocations, which are well-consistent with the focal mechanism solutions for events with magnitudes greater than 3.0, admit two distinctly fault styles of different orientations. Thus, leading to the NE and NW fault planes’ reactivation related to the Precambrian basement faults and the Red Sea rift system, respectively. The spatiotemporal distributions of epicenters and focal mechanism solutions suggest a new seismic deformation scenario of the 2009 earthquake seismic activity. The low static frictions of 0.2–0.35 obtained from the stress inversion indicates reactivation of preexisting faults in the respective seismogenic zones. The obtained results give rise to a swarm-like sequence of tectonic implications, two activated fault styles differently oriented, and an NE conjugate fault system inherited in the region, which plays a vital role in transferring the ambient stress regime into the Red Sea’s eastern flank.

‘Conjugate’ coseismic surface faulting related with the 29 December 2020, Mw 6.4, Petrinja earthquake (Sisak-Moslavina, Croatia)

We provide here a first-hand description of the coseismic surface effects caused by the Mw 6.4 Petrinja earthquake that hit central Croatia on 29 December 2020. This was one of the strongest seismic events that occurred in Croatia in the last two centuries. Field surveys in the epicentral area allowed us to observe and map primary coseismic effects, including geometry and kinematics of surface faulting, as well as secondary effects, such as liquefaction, sinkholes and landslides. The resulting dataset consists of homogeneous georeferenced records identifying 222 observation points, each of which contains a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 14 numeric and string fields of relevant information. The earthquake caused surface faulting defining a typical ‘conjugate’ fault pattern characterized by Y and X shears, tension cracks (T fractures), and compression structures (P shears) within a ca. 10 km wide (across strike), NW–SE striking right-lateral strike-slip shear zone (i.e., the Petrinja Fault Zone, PFZ). We believe that the results of the field survey provide fundamental information to improve the interpretation of seismological, GPS and InSAR data of this earthquake. Moreover, the data related to the surface faulting may impact future studies focused on earthquake processes in active strike-slip settings, integrating the estimates of slip amount and distribution in assessing the hazard associated with capable transcurrent faults.

Fault interactions in a complex fault system: insight from the 1936–1997 NE Lut earthquake sequence

SUMMARY Calculations of Coulomb stress changes have shown that moderate to large earthquakes may increase stress at the location of future earthquakes. Coulomb stress transfers have thus been widely accepted to explain earthquake sequences, especially for sequences occurring within parallel or collinear fault systems. Relating, under this framework, successive earthquakes occurring within more complex fault systems (i.e. conjugate fault system) is more challenging. In this study, we assess which ingredients of the Coulomb stress change theory are decisive for explaining the succession of three large (Mw 7+) earthquakes that occurred on a conjugate fault system in the NE Lut, East Iran, during a 30-yr period. These earthquakes belong to a larger seismic sequence made up of 11 earthquakes (Mw 5.9+) from 1936 to 1997. To reach our goal, we calculate, at each earthquake date, the stress changes generated by the static deformation of the preceding earthquakes, the following post-seismic deformation due to the viscoelastic relaxation of the lithosphere, and the interseismic deformation since 1936. We first show that accurately modelling the source and receiver fault geometry is crucial to precisely estimating Coulomb stress changes. Then we show that 7 out of 10 earthquakes of the NE Lut sequence, considering the uncertainties, are favoured by the previous earthquakes. Furthermore, the last two M7+ earthquakes of the sequence (1979 and 1997) have mainly been favoured by the moderate Mw ∼ 6 earthquakes. Finally, we investigate the link between the Coulomb stress changes due to previous earthquakes and the rupture extension of the next earthquake and show that a correlation does exist for some earthquakes but is not systematic.

Rift linkage processes in areas of incipient oceanic spreading: examples from Afar

<p>Mid-ocean ridges are segmented and offset along their length. However, the kinematics of rift linkage and the initiation of oceanic transform faults in magmatic rifts remain debated. Crustal deformation patterns from the Afar continental rift provide evidences of how rifts grow to link in an area of incipient seafloor spreading. Here we present examples of rift linkage processes in Afar integrating seismicity and geodetic (InSAR and GPS) measurements, and explained by numerical and analytical models. We show that in central Afar overlapping spreading rifts link through zones of rift-perpendicular strike-slip faulting at the tips of the spreading rifts, demonstrating that distributed extension drives rift-perpendicular shearing. Conversely, in northern Afar we identify a linkage zone between the Erta Ale and Tat Ali segments where shear is accommodated by a conjugate set of oblique slip faults. There, InSAR modelling of a M<sub>L</sub> 5.1 earthquake in 2007 show that overall right-lateral shear is accommodated primarily by oblique left-lateral slip along faults subparallel to the rift segments but an active conjugate fault system with right-lateral slip is also highlighted by low-to-moderate seismicity during 2011-2013. Thermomechanical models of transform fault formation are consistent with the presence of a proto-transform fault that may develop into a throughgoing transform in the future. Our results provide evidences that offset rift segments during continental breakup can be linked by a wide variety of strain types and proto-transform zones can form before the onset of seafloor spreading.</p>

Targeted High-Resolution Structure from Motion Observations over the Mw 6.4 and 7.1 Ruptures of the Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence

We carried out six targeted structure from motion surveys using small uninhabited aerial systems over the Mw 6.4 and 7.1 ruptures of the Ridgecrest earthquake sequence in the first three months after the events. The surveys cover approximately 500 × 500 m areas just south of Highway 178 with an average ground sample distance of 1.5 cm. The first survey took place five days after the Mw 6.4 foreshock on 9 July 2019. The final survey took place on 27 September 2019. The time between surveys increased over time, with the first five surveys taking place in the first month after the earthquake. Comparison of imagery from before and after the Mw 7.1 earthquake shows variation in slip on the main rupture and a small amount of distributed slip across the scene. Cracks can be observed and mapped in the high-resolution imagery, which show en echelon cracking, fault splays, and a northeast-striking conjugate fault at the Mw 7.1 rupture south of Highway 178 and near the dirt road. Initial postseismic results show little fault afterslip, but possible subsidence in the first 7–10 days after the earthquake, followed by uplift.

Two Earthquake Sequences Nearly a Century Apart Reveal a Conjugate Seismogenic System in Central Taiwan

Seismically active central Taiwan is considered part of an orogenic wedge with low-angle east-dipping active faults above a detachment surface and an active mountain-building process later. In 2013, two moderate reverse-faulting earthquakes of magnitudes ML 6.2 and 6.5 occurred in Nantou. They brought to mind the historically damaging sequence of four earthquakes in the same area that claimed a total of 71 lives in 1916. The 2013 earthquake sequence provides a good opportunity to study the 1916 sequence. We compared the historical Omori record of the main event in the 1916 sequence, discovered in the Seismogram Archives at the Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, and the corresponding simulated Omori records of the 2013 events. Our comparison shows significant similarity among the earthquakes, although they are separated by nearly 100 yr. To understand the seismogenic structure associated with these earthquake sequences, we further studied the source rupture properties of earthquakes in this region since 1999 using local broadband records to determine the rupture fault planes. Results show that all events have similar focal mechanisms with one low-angle east-dipping and another high-angle west-dipping nodal planes. Rupture plane determination indicates that whereas events at shallow depths (<20 km) ruptured on the low-angle east-dipping plane, events at greater depths (>20 km) slipped on the high-angle west-dipping plane in a conjugate fault system. The comparison also suggests that the 1916 sequence occurred on the low-angle east-dipping plane of this conjugate fault system in the orogenic wedge as part of a mountain-building process. Given the active mountain-building process in central Taiwan, occurrences of this type of earthquake must be addressed in seismic hazard mitigation efforts.