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3D Local Earthquake Tomography of the Ecuadorian Margin in the Source Area of the 2016 Mw 7.8 Pedernales Earthquake

León-Ríos, Sergio; Bie, Lidong; Agurto-Detzel, Hans; Rietbrock, Andreas ORCID iD icon; Galve, Audrey; Alvarado, Alexandra; Beck, Susan; Charvis, Philippe; Font, Yvonne; Hidalgo, Silvana; Hoskins, Mariah; Laigle, Mireille; Oregioni, Davide; Meltzer, Anne; Ruiz, Mario; Woollam, Jack

Abstract:

Based on manually analyzed waveforms recorded by the permanent Ecuadorian network and our large aftershock deployment installed after the Pedernales earthquake, we derive three‐dimensional Vp and Vp/Vs structures and earthquake locations for central coastal Ecuador using local earthquake tomography. Images highlight the features in the subducting and overriding plates down to 35 km depth. Vp anomalies (∼4.5–7.5 km/s) show the roughness of the incoming oceanic crust (OC). Vp/Vs varies from ∼1.75 to ∼1.94, averaging a value of 1.82 consistent with terranes of oceanic nature. We identify a low Vp (∼5.5 km/s) region extending along strike, in the marine forearc. To the North, we relate this low Vp and Vp/Vs (<1.80) region to a subducted seamount that might be part of the Carnegie Ridge (CR). To the South, the low Vp region is associated with high Vp/Vs (>1.85) which we interpret as deeply fractured, probably hydrated OC caused by the CR being subducted. These features play an important role in controlling the seismic behavior of the margin. While subducted seamounts might contribute to the nucleation of intermediate megathrust earthquakes in the northern segment, the CR seems to be the main feature controlling the seismicity in the region by promoting creeping and slow slip events offshore that can be linked to the updip limit of large megathrust earthquakes in the northern segment and the absence of them in the southern region over the instrumental period.


Verlagsausgabe §
DOI: 10.5445/IR/1000131406
Veröffentlicht am 01.07.2022
Originalveröffentlichung
DOI: 10.1029/2020JB020701
Scopus
Zitationen: 8
Web of Science
Zitationen: 7
Dimensions
Zitationen: 9
Cover der Publikation
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Geophysikalisches Institut (GPI)
Universität Karlsruhe (TH) – Interfakultative Einrichtungen (Interfakultative Einrichtungen)
KIT-Zentrum Klima und Umwelt (ZKU)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsjahr 2021
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 2169-9313, 0148-0227, 2156-2202, 2169-9356
KITopen-ID: 1000131406
Erschienen in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
Verlag John Wiley and Sons
Band 126
Heft 3
Seiten e2020JB020701
Schlagwörter aftershocks; Ecuador; megathrust earthquake; seismic tomography; subduction zone; velocity structure
Nachgewiesen in Scopus
Web of Science
Dimensions
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