Pre‐Existing Off‐Fault Damage Can Impede Coseismic On‐Fault Slip
Abstract Primarily due to the scarce direct field evidence along a same fault, understanding the relationship between the pre‐existing off‐fault damage and coseismic slip distribution remains challenging. This study offers the first field‐based quantitative assessments of fault damage zones along th...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111198 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849468195658792960 |
|---|---|
| author | C. H. Wu P. Cui Y. Klinger X. B. Tan S. J. Yi Y. S. Li |
| author_facet | C. H. Wu P. Cui Y. Klinger X. B. Tan S. J. Yi Y. S. Li |
| author_sort | C. H. Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Primarily due to the scarce direct field evidence along a same fault, understanding the relationship between the pre‐existing off‐fault damage and coseismic slip distribution remains challenging. This study offers the first field‐based quantitative assessments of fault damage zones along the surface rupture generated by the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake in China over eight profiles with 254 outcrops. The width and mean tectonic fracture intensity of the damage zones exhibit pronounced variations along the fault strike. We introduce the damage index as a proxy to quantify the extent of pre‐existing damage. We find a statistically significant anti‐correlation between the damage index and coseismic on‐fault slip. We thus infer that pre‐existing off‐fault damage plays a significant role in dissipating rupture energy, thereby reducing coseismic on‐fault slip. This study provides a natural case for linking the long‐term fault zone evolution and the short‐term earthquake rupture dynamics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-61d2046f6842492fbe279b36eb830fa9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-61d2046f6842492fbe279b36eb830fa92025-08-20T03:25:55ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-12-015123n/an/a10.1029/2024GL111198Pre‐Existing Off‐Fault Damage Can Impede Coseismic On‐Fault SlipC. H. Wu0P. Cui1Y. Klinger2X. B. Tan3S. J. Yi4Y. S. Li5Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Surface Process Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Chengdu ChinaKey Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Surface Process Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Chengdu ChinaUniversité de Paris Cité Institut de Physique Du Globe de Paris CNRS Paris FranceKey Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Surface Process Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Chengdu ChinaSouthwest University of Science and Technology School of Environment and Resource Mianyang ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection Chengdu University of Technology Chengdu ChinaAbstract Primarily due to the scarce direct field evidence along a same fault, understanding the relationship between the pre‐existing off‐fault damage and coseismic slip distribution remains challenging. This study offers the first field‐based quantitative assessments of fault damage zones along the surface rupture generated by the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake in China over eight profiles with 254 outcrops. The width and mean tectonic fracture intensity of the damage zones exhibit pronounced variations along the fault strike. We introduce the damage index as a proxy to quantify the extent of pre‐existing damage. We find a statistically significant anti‐correlation between the damage index and coseismic on‐fault slip. We thus infer that pre‐existing off‐fault damage plays a significant role in dissipating rupture energy, thereby reducing coseismic on‐fault slip. This study provides a natural case for linking the long‐term fault zone evolution and the short‐term earthquake rupture dynamics.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111198earthquakecoseismic slippre‐existing off‐fault damagefault zone structurefield evidence |
| spellingShingle | C. H. Wu P. Cui Y. Klinger X. B. Tan S. J. Yi Y. S. Li Pre‐Existing Off‐Fault Damage Can Impede Coseismic On‐Fault Slip Geophysical Research Letters earthquake coseismic slip pre‐existing off‐fault damage fault zone structure field evidence |
| title | Pre‐Existing Off‐Fault Damage Can Impede Coseismic On‐Fault Slip |
| title_full | Pre‐Existing Off‐Fault Damage Can Impede Coseismic On‐Fault Slip |
| title_fullStr | Pre‐Existing Off‐Fault Damage Can Impede Coseismic On‐Fault Slip |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pre‐Existing Off‐Fault Damage Can Impede Coseismic On‐Fault Slip |
| title_short | Pre‐Existing Off‐Fault Damage Can Impede Coseismic On‐Fault Slip |
| title_sort | pre existing off fault damage can impede coseismic on fault slip |
| topic | earthquake coseismic slip pre‐existing off‐fault damage fault zone structure field evidence |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111198 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chwu preexistingofffaultdamagecanimpedecoseismiconfaultslip AT pcui preexistingofffaultdamagecanimpedecoseismiconfaultslip AT yklinger preexistingofffaultdamagecanimpedecoseismiconfaultslip AT xbtan preexistingofffaultdamagecanimpedecoseismiconfaultslip AT sjyi preexistingofffaultdamagecanimpedecoseismiconfaultslip AT ysli preexistingofffaultdamagecanimpedecoseismiconfaultslip |