Discrete Element Modeling of a Subduction Zone with a Seafloor Irregularity and its Impact on the Seismic Cycle
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We thank Professor Sylvain Barbot for the extremely helpful comments and suggestions. Paul Tapponnier is grateful to the Asian School of the Environment (ASE) for allowing him to complete this work by extending his contract at NTU for one year and a half. This work is Earth Observatory of Singapore contribution (No. M4430217.B50.706022) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (Grant Nos. MOST 109-2116-M-008-029-MY3, MOST 110-2124-M-002-008, and MOST 110-2634-F-008-008). We note that there are no data sharing issues in the paper since all of the numerical information has been provided in the table and figures. Jiao Liqing carried out the simulations and prepared the manuscript. Chan Chung-Han contributed to the result interpretation, wrote manuscript, and administrate project.

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    Abstract:

    Seafloor irregularities influence rupture behavior along the subducting slab and in the overriding plate, thus affecting earthquake cycles. Whether seafloor irregularities increase the likelihood of large earthquakes in a subduction zone remains contested, partially due to focus put either on fault development or on rupture pattern. Here, we simulate a subducting slab with a seafloor irregularity and the resulting deformation pattern of the overriding plate using the discrete element method. Our simulations illustrate the rupture along three major fault systems: megathrust, splay and backthrust faults. Our results show different rupture dimensions of earthquake events varying from tens to ca. 140 km. Our results suggest that the recurrence interval of megathrust events with rupture length of ca. 100 km is ca. 140 years, which is overall comparable to the paleoseismic records at the Mentawai area of the Sumatran zone. We further propose the coseismic slip amounts decrease and interseismic slip amounts increase from the surface downwards gradually.

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JIAO Liqing, CHAN Chung-Han, Luc SCHOLTES, Aurelia HUBERT-FERRARI, Frederic-Victor DONZE, Paul TAPPONNIER.2022. Discrete Element Modeling of a Subduction Zone with a Seafloor Irregularity and its Impact on the Seismic Cycle[J]. Acta Geologica Sinica(),96(3):776-790

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History
  • Revised:April 08,2022
  • Online: June 24,2022
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