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Slides for Ben. Study Area. N. 500 km. Great Earthquakes, Strongly-Coupled Arc. 1964, 9.2. 1938, 8.3. 1946, M S 7.4 tsunami earthquake. Pacific plate motion. 1957, 9.1. 1986, 8.0. 1996, 7.9-8.0. 1965, 8.9. Geometry of Subducting Slab. What Do We Expect to See?. Alaska Peninsula.
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Study Area N 500 km
Great Earthquakes, Strongly-Coupled Arc 1964, 9.2 1938, 8.3 1946, MS7.4 tsunami earthquake Pacific plate motion 1957, 9.1 1986, 8.0 1996, 7.9-8.0 1965, 8.9
Alaska Peninsula Velocities Semidi Profile
Semidi Profile Fletcher et al., 2001
Semidi Profile Results • Locked zone is ~180 km wide • Estimated slip deficit is ~80% of plate motion rate • –> Wide, strongly-coupled seismogenic zone • Residual trench-parallel component of several mm/yr
Previous Work in the Shumagins • Velocities relative to centroid of network • Estimated 3.2±2.3 mm/yr contraction across islands • Contrasts with 16±3 mm/yr contraction across Semidi islands in same position (28±3 Chirikof to Pac. coast) • Minimal data collected since 1993 Larson and Lisowski, 1994
53 km 35 km Sanak Profile Model • Best-fit is no locked zone • How wide can locked zone be without violating data? at trench 30 km from trench 99% 95% Freymueller and Beavan, 1999
Shishaldin Fisher Westdahl How Far Does Creeping Extend?
Conclusions: Alaska Peninsula • Wide locked zone corresponds to 1938 MW 8.3 rupture zone • Narrow or nonexistent locked zone from Shumagin “gap” west to end of Unimak • Along-strike boundary between these two segments is sharp -- within a few 10s of km. • Correlates spatially with change in magnetic lineations on seafloor, but no big age change. • Unlocked segment includes 1946 “tsunami earthquake” zone • No strain seen in 1946 segment –> unlikely to be a giant asperity as required if tsunami generated solely by earthquake.
Kenai • Combination of • locked subduction zone (NNW) • postseismic deformation (SSE) • Up to 55 mm/yr relative to NOAM • Up to ~75 mm/yr relative motions • Along-strike changes in seismogenic zone
Kenai Detail • Obvious transition between western and eastern Peninsula • Look at sites same distance from trench • Edge of plate coupling toward western edge of Peninsula • Edge of PWS asperity
Regional Plate Coupling Slip deficit/Vplate Zweck et al. (2002)
Non-linear Deformation 1998.5
Three Time Periods 1998-2001 Velocities measurably different over area >100x200 km2
1964 Rupture Zone Results • Two large asperities with distinct gap • Corresponds to 1964 coseismic slip • Strong Postseismic Deformation continues • Both afterslip and viscoelastic mechanisms • Slip event from 1998-2000 • Downdip of seismogenic zone • Equivalent to MW~7-7.1 earthquake over 2.5 years • Can still identify asperities
Latest Results • Zweck et al. used data through 1999, update uses data through 2002 • Averages over time, so includes slip event in Anchorage area • Adds important new data from two Alaska Peninsula sites • Kodiak asperity remains poorly resolved • Working on separation of viscoelastic and afterslip mechanisms
Interpreted PWS asperity Kodiak asperity 1938 asperity
Conclusions • There are large along-strike variations in behavior of seismogenic zone • Width of zone from 100s of km to <50 km or zero • Shallow interface: fully locked to fully creeping • Locked == asperities of last great earthquakes • Along-strike length scales for transition from locked to creeping are a few 10s of km or less • Slowly-varying properties cannot control seismogenic zone • Convergence rate • Sediment thickness • Oceanic plate age or dip angle (except for sharp changes)
Conclusions • Dynamics of plate boundary downdip of seismogenic zone (and near base) are complex • Slowly-varying properties cannot control seismogenic zone • Convergence rate • Sediment thickness • Oceanic plate age or dip angle • Perhaps these parameters define a “potentially seismogenic zone” • Fault frictional properties vary over short distances? • Why? • Why do parts of the San Andreas fault system creep?