Core Concepts
Fault network geometry significantly influences earthquake frictional behavior, with simpler fault geometries facilitating smooth fault creep and complex geometries promoting stick-slip earthquakes.
Abstract
This article presents a new perspective on the factors governing the stability of fault slip, a crucial problem in fault mechanics. The study investigates the link between fault network geometry and surface creep rates in California, USA.
The key findings are:
- Fault groups exhibiting creeping behavior show smaller misalignment in their fault network geometry.
- The surface fault traces of creeping regions tend to be simple, whereas locked regions tend to be more complex.
- The presence of complex fault network geometries results in geometric locking that promotes stick-slip behavior characterized by earthquakes.
- Simpler fault geometries facilitate smooth fault creep.
These observations challenge traditional hypotheses that explain fault creep primarily in terms of fault friction. Instead, the authors propose a new framework where large-scale earthquake frictional behavior is determined by a combination of geometric factors and rheological yielding properties.
The study demonstrates the vital role of large-scale complexities in fault networks on the fault rupture process, going beyond previous lab experiments and numerical models that have focused on the importance of fault geometry and roughness on fault slip behavior.
Stats
Understanding the factors governing the stability of fault slip is a crucial problem in fault mechanics.
Recent lab experiments and numerical models have highlighted the importance of fault geometry and roughness on fault-slip behaviour.
Emerging evidence suggests that large-scale complexities in fault networks have a vital role in the fault-rupture process.
Quotes
"Here we present a new perspective on fault creep by investigating the link between fault-network geometry and surface creep rates in California, USA."
"Our analysis reveals that fault groups exhibiting creeping behaviour show smaller misalignment in their fault-network geometry."
"We propose that the presence of complex fault-network geometries results in geometric locking that promotes stick-slip behaviour characterized by earthquakes, whereas simpler geometries facilitate smooth fault creep."