Earthquake ruptures and topography of the Chilean margin controlled by plate interface deformation

Abstract ± ± P T conditions of recovered underplated material, expected pore pressures and the spatial distribution of marine terraces and uplift rates. South of the Juan Fernández Ridge, large sediment input favors shallow accretion and underplating of subducted sediments, while along northern Chile, extensive basal erosion provides material for the underplating. We then show that, along the accretionary margin, the two last major earthquakes were limited along their down-dip end by underplating while, along the erosive margin, they were surrounded by both basal erosion and underplating. Segments with heterogeneously distributed deformation largely coincide with lateral earthquake terminations. We therefore propose that long-lived plate interface deformation promotes stress build-up and leads to earthquake nucleation. Earthquakes then propagate along fault planes shielded from this long-lived permanent deformation, and are finally stopped by segments of heterogeneously distributed deformation. Slip deficit patterns and earthquake segmentation therefore reflect the along-dip and along-strike distribution of the plate interface deformation. Topography acts as a mirror of distributed plate interface deformation and should be more systematically studied to improve the prediction of earthquake ruptures.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Earthquake ruptures and topography of the Chilean margin controlled by plate interface deformation ; volume:13 ; number:3 ; year:2022 ; pages:779-792 ; extent:14 ; Solid earth ; 13, Heft 3 (2022), 779-792 (gesamt 14)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Cubas, Nadaya ; Agard, Philippe ; Tissandier, Roxane

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/se-13-779-2022
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022041210311738921485
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:35 AM CEST