AN ASEISMIC SLIP PULSE IN NORTHERN CHILE AND ALONG-STRIKE VARIATIONS IN SEISMOGENIC BEHAVIOR

Abstract

We use interferometric synthetic aperture radar, GPS, and seismic observations spanning 5 to 18 years to reveal a detailed kinematic picture of the spatiotemporal evolution of fault slip in a region corresponding to the 30 July 1995 Mw 8.1 subduction zone megathrust earthquake in northern Chile. In a single area, we document a complex mosaic of phenomena including large earthquakes, postseismic afterslip with a spatial distribution that appears to be tied to variations in coastal morphology, and a completely aseismic pulse that may have triggered a Mw 7.1 earthquake on 30 January 1998. In contrast to simple models of fault slip behavior, this spatial heterogeneity indicates that frictional parameters on the fault do not have a systematic transition with depth and also vary rapidly along strike. The low amount of afterslip from the Mw 8.1 earthquake relative to other similar events suggests that postseismic behavior may be modulated by the amount of sediment subducted. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.