Initial effective stress controls the nature of earthquakes

François X. Passelègue (), Michelle Almakari, Pierre Dublanchet, Fabian Barras, Jérôme Fortin and Marie Violay
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François X. Passelègue: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Michelle Almakari: PSL Research University
Pierre Dublanchet: PSL Research University
Fabian Barras: University of Oslo
Jérôme Fortin: École Normale Supérieure, UMR8538, 24 rue Lhomond
Marie Violay: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Modern geophysics highlights that the slip behaviour response of faults is variable in space and time and can result in slow or fast ruptures. However, the origin of this variation of the rupture velocity in nature as well as the physics behind it is still debated. Here, we first highlight how the different types of fault slip observed in nature appear to stem from the same physical mechanism. Second, we reproduce at the scale of the laboratory the complete spectrum of rupture velocities observed in nature. Our results show that the rupture velocity can range from a few millimetres to kilometres per second, depending on the available energy at the onset of slip, in agreement with theoretical predictions. This combined set of observations bring a new explanation of the dominance of slow rupture fronts in the shallow part of the crust or in areas suspected to present large fluid pressure.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18937-0

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