Slow earthquakes triggered by typhoons

ChiChing Liu (), Alan T. Linde and I. Selwyn Sacks
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ChiChing Liu: Institute for Earth Sciences, Academica Sinica, 128 Sinica Road, Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
Alan T. Linde: Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington DC 20015, USA
I. Selwyn Sacks: Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington DC 20015, USA

Nature, 2009, vol. 459, issue 7248, 833-836

Abstract: An ill wind for slow earthquakes Teleseismic waves generated by large earthquakes are known to trigger other earthquakes, even at a great distance, and seasonal atmospheric pressure variations have been shown to modulate microearthquake activity. ChiChing Liu et al. now report an unexpected geological phenomenon: earthquakes triggered by weather conditions. Data from borehole strain-meters in eastern Taiwan show that slow earthquakes — seismic events spanning hours and minutes rather than minutes and seconds — can be triggered by typhoons. Numerical models suggest that low pressure associated with the typhoon results in a very small unclamping of the fault, which must be highly stressed and close to failure. Eastern Taiwan experiences very high compressional deformation, but few large earthquakes. Repeated slow earthquakes in the region may act to segment the stressed area and inhibit large earthquakes that require a long continuous seismic rupture.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08042

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