Publication Date:
2024-05-23
Description:
〈title xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"〉Abstract〈/title〉〈p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xml:lang="en"〉Teleseismic back‐projection imaging has emerged as a powerful tool for understanding the rupture propagation of large earthquakes. However, its application often suffers from artifacts related to the receiver array geometry. We developed a teleseismic back‐projection technique that can accommodate data from multiple arrays. Combined processing of P and pP waveforms may further improve the resolution. The method is suitable for defining arrays ad‐hoc to achieve a good azimuthal distribution for most earthquakes. We present a catalog of short‐period rupture histories (0.5–2.0 Hz) for all earthquakes from 2010 to 2022 with 〈italic〉M〈/italic〉〈sub〉〈italic〉W〈/italic〉〈/sub〉 ≥ 7.5 and depth less than 200 km (56 events). The method provides automatic estimates of rupture length, directivity, speed, and aspect ratio, a proxy for rupture complexity. We obtained short‐period rupture length scaling relations that are in good agreement with previously published relations based on estimates of total slip. Rupture speeds were consistently in the sub‐Rayleigh regime for thrust and normal earthquakes, whereas a tenth of strike‐slip events propagated at supershear speeds. Many rupture histories exhibited complex behaviors, for example, rupture on conjugate faults, bilateral propagation, and dynamic triggering by a P wave. For megathrust earthquakes, ruptures encircling asperities were frequently observed, with downdip, updip, and balanced patterns. Although there is a preference for short‐period emissions to emanate from central and downdip parts of the megathrust, emissions updip of the main asperity are more frequent than suggested by earlier results.〈/p〉
Description:
Plain Language Summary: Back‐projection is an earthquake imaging method based on seismic waveforms recorded remotely at a group of seismometers (seismic array). Here, we develop a new approach to combine backprojections from multiple arrays and seismic waveforms and use it to derive a catalog of large earthquake rupture histories from 2010 to 2022, providing a map view of the high‐frequency radiation emitted along the fault. The method automatically estimates the earthquake rupture length, speed, directivity, and aspect ratio. Based on these estimates, we obtained scaling relations between the earthquake magnitude and rupture length that agree with classical relationships. We identified strike‐slip earthquakes propagating at supershear, that is, faster than the shear wave speed, the usual limit for self‐sustaining rupture propagation. We observed complex rupture behaviors, for example, multiple faults activated, bilateral ruptures, and triggering of the main phase of a rupture by a primary (P) wave from the earliest part of the rupture. For subduction earthquakes, high‐frequency emissions were often observed, forming a ring around the fault interface patches (asperities) where the main slip occurs. There was a preference for high‐frequency radiation to emanate from central and deeper parts of the subducting plate interface, but shallower emissions were more frequent than expected from previous literature.〈/p〉
Description:
Key Points:
〈list list-type="bullet"〉
〈list-item〉
〈p xml:lang="en"〉We provide a complete catalog of high‐frequency rupture histories for 〈italic〉M〈/italic〉 ≥ 7.5 events 2010–2022〈/p〉〈/list-item〉
〈list-item〉
〈p xml:lang="en"〉We develop a semi‐automatic method for estimating rupture length, speed, directivity, and aspect ratio〈/p〉〈/list-item〉
〈list-item〉
〈p xml:lang="en"〉Both encircling ruptures and emissions updip of slip asperities common in megathrust earthquakes〈/p〉〈/list-item〉
〈/list〉
〈/p〉
Description:
National Agency for Research and Development (ANID)
Description:
https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.2.4.2024.001
Keywords:
ddc:551.22
;
back‐projection
;
megathrust earthquakes
;
complex ruptures
;
supershear ruptures
;
scaling relations
;
earthquake rupture catalog
Language:
English
Type:
doc-type:article
