Fortnightly modulation of San Andreas tremor and low-frequency earthquakes

van der Elst, Nicholas J.; Delorey, Andrew A.; Shelly, David R.; Johnson, Paul A.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1524316113

Title: Fortnightly modulation of San Andreas tremor and low-frequency earthquakes

Abstract

Earth tides modulate tremor and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) on faults in the vicinity of the brittle-ductile (seismic-aseismic) transition. Our response to the tidal stress carries otherwise inaccessible information about fault strength and rheology. We analyze the LFE response to the fortnightly tide, which modulates the amplitude of the daily tidal stress over a 14-d cycle. LFE rate is highest during the waxing fortnightly tide, with LFEs most strongly promoted when the daily stress exceeds the previous peak stress by the widest margin. This pattern implies a threshold failure process, with slip initiated when stress exceeds the local fault strength. Furthermore, variations in sensitivity to the fortnightly modulation may reflect the degree of stress concentration on LFE-producing brittle asperities embedded within an otherwise aseismic fault.

Authors:

van der Elst, Nicholas J. ^[1]; Delorey, Andrew A. ^[2]; Shelly, David R. ^[3]; Johnson, Paul A. ^[2]

United States Geological Survey, Pasadena, CA (United States). Earthquake Science Center
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Geophysics Group
United States Geological Survey, Pasadena, CA (United States). Volcanic Science Center

Publication Date:: 2016-07-18

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1340914

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-15-27728
Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 113; Journal Issue: 31; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:: National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC (United States)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 58 GEOSCIENCES; faults; low-frequency earthquakes; tidal triggering; fortnightly tides

Citation Formats


                    van der Elst, Nicholas J., Delorey, Andrew A., Shelly, David R., and Johnson, Paul A.. Fortnightly modulation of San Andreas tremor and low-frequency earthquakes.  United States: N. p., 2016. 
Web.  doi:10.1073/pnas.1524316113.

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                    van der Elst, Nicholas J., Delorey, Andrew A., Shelly, David R., & Johnson, Paul A.. Fortnightly modulation of San Andreas tremor and low-frequency earthquakes.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1524316113

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                    van der Elst, Nicholas J., Delorey, Andrew A., Shelly, David R., and Johnson, Paul A.. Mon .  
"Fortnightly modulation of San Andreas tremor and low-frequency earthquakes".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1524316113.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1340914.

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@article{osti_1340914,

  title        = {Fortnightly modulation of San Andreas tremor and low-frequency earthquakes},

  author       = {van der Elst, Nicholas J. and Delorey, Andrew A. and Shelly, David R. and Johnson, Paul A.},

  abstractNote = {Earth tides modulate tremor and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) on faults in the vicinity of the brittle-ductile (seismic-aseismic) transition. Our response to the tidal stress carries otherwise inaccessible information about fault strength and rheology. We analyze the LFE response to the fortnightly tide, which modulates the amplitude of the daily tidal stress over a 14-d cycle. LFE rate is highest during the waxing fortnightly tide, with LFEs most strongly promoted when the daily stress exceeds the previous peak stress by the widest margin. This pattern implies a threshold failure process, with slip initiated when stress exceeds the local fault strength. Furthermore, variations in sensitivity to the fortnightly modulation may reflect the degree of stress concentration on LFE-producing brittle asperities embedded within an otherwise aseismic fault.},

  doi          = {10.1073/pnas.1524316113},

  journal      = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},

  number       = 31,

  volume       = 113,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2016},

  month        = {7}

}

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https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1524316113

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Works referenced in this record:

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Thomas, A. M.; Bürgmann, R.; Shelly, D. R.
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Loading‐Induced Earth's Stress Change Over Time
journal, May 2018

Lu, Zhou; Yi, Hang; Wen, Lianxing
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 123, Issue 5
DOI: 10.1029/2017jb015243

Variability in Io's Volcanism on Timescales of Periodic Orbital Changes
journal, June 2019

Kleer, Katherine; Nimmo, Francis; Kite, Edwin
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 12
DOI: 10.1029/2019gl082691

Squeezing Marsquakes Out of Groundwater
journal, June 2019

Manga, Michael; Zhai, Guang; Wang, Chi‐Yuen
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 12
DOI: 10.1029/2019gl082892

Modulation of Seismic Attenuation at Parkfield, Before and After the 2004 M 6 Earthquake
journal, June 2019

Malagnini, L.; Dreger, D. S.; Bürgmann, R.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 124, Issue 6
DOI: 10.1029/2019jb017372

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Similar Records

Title: Fortnightly modulation of San Andreas tremor and low-frequency earthquakes

Abstract

Citation Formats

Low-frequency earthquakes in Shikoku, Japan, and their relationship to episodic tremor and slip journal, July 2006

Source parameters and time-dependent slip distributions of slow slip events on the Cascadia subduction zone from 1998 to 2008 journal, January 2010

Striations, duration, migration and tidal response in deep tremor journal, July 2010

Nonvolcanic Deep Tremor Associated with Subduction in Southwest Japan journal, May 2002

Precise tremor source locations and amplitude variations along the lower-crustal central San Andreas Fault: SAN ANDREAS TREMOR LOCATIONS/AMPLITUDES journal, July 2010

Tidal Modulation of Nonvolcanic Tremor journal, January 2008

Influence of fortnightly tides on earthquake triggering at the East Pacific Rise at 9°50′N: Influence of Fortnightly Tides On journal, March 2016

Slip on the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield, California, over Two Earthquake Cycles, and the Implications for Seismic Hazard journal, September 2006

Non-volcanic tremor resulting from the combined effect of Earth tides and slow slip events journal, September 2008

Variety and spatial heterogeneity of tectonic tremor worldwide: TECTONIC TREMOR WORLDWIDE journal, March 2012

Tremor reveals stress shadowing, deep postseismic creep, and depth-dependent slip recurrence on the lower-crustal San Andreas fault near Parkfield: TREMOR, STRESS, AND LOWER-CRUSTAL CREEP journal, July 2011

Evidence of earthquake triggering by the solid earth tides journal, February 2009

Tidal triggering of low frequency earthquakes near Parkfield, California: Implications for fault mechanics within the brittle-ductile transition: TIDAL TRIGGERING OF LFES NEAR PARKFIELD journal, May 2012

Pulse of the seafloor: Tidal triggering of microearthquakes at 9°50′N East Pacific Rise: TIDAL TRIGGERING AT 9°50′N EPR journal, August 2007

Earth Tides Can Trigger Shallow Thrust Fault Earthquakes journal, November 2004

Effects of shear velocity oscillations on stick-slip behavior in laboratory experiments journal, January 2007

Tidal triggering of microearthquakes on the Juan de Fuca Ridge journal, October 2001

Low friction and fault weakening revealed by rising sensitivity of tremor to tidal stress journal, April 2015

Evidence for tidal triggering of earthquakes as revealed from statistical analysis of global data: TIDAL TRIGGERING OF EARTHQUAKES journal, October 2002

Widespread Triggering of Nonvolcanic Tremor in California journal, January 2008

Inferring fault rheology from low-frequency earthquakes on the San Andreas: FAULT RHEOLOGY ON THE SAN ANDREAS journal, November 2013

Tremor-tide correlations and near-lithostatic pore pressure on the deep San Andreas fault journal, December 2009

Why earthquakes correlate weakly with the solid Earth tides: Effects of periodic stress on the rate and probability of earthquake occurrence journal, January 2003

Asperity Model of an Earthquake: Static Problem journal, March 2002

Loading‐Induced Earth's Stress Change Over Time journal, May 2018

Variability in Io's Volcanism on Timescales of Periodic Orbital Changes journal, June 2019

Squeezing Marsquakes Out of Groundwater journal, June 2019

Modulation of Seismic Attenuation at Parkfield, Before and After the 2004 M 6 Earthquake journal, June 2019

Low-frequency earthquakes in Shikoku, Japan, and their relationship to episodic tremor and slip
journal, July 2006

Source parameters and time-dependent slip distributions of slow slip events on the Cascadia subduction zone from 1998 to 2008
journal, January 2010

Striations, duration, migration and tidal response in deep tremor
journal, July 2010

Nonvolcanic Deep Tremor Associated with Subduction in Southwest Japan
journal, May 2002

Precise tremor source locations and amplitude variations along the lower-crustal central San Andreas Fault: SAN ANDREAS TREMOR LOCATIONS/AMPLITUDES
journal, July 2010

Tidal Modulation of Nonvolcanic Tremor
journal, January 2008

Influence of fortnightly tides on earthquake triggering at the East Pacific Rise at 9°50′N: Influence of Fortnightly Tides On
journal, March 2016

Slip on the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield, California, over Two Earthquake Cycles, and the Implications for Seismic Hazard
journal, September 2006

Non-volcanic tremor resulting from the combined effect of Earth tides and slow slip events
journal, September 2008

Variety and spatial heterogeneity of tectonic tremor worldwide: TECTONIC TREMOR WORLDWIDE
journal, March 2012

Tremor reveals stress shadowing, deep postseismic creep, and depth-dependent slip recurrence on the lower-crustal San Andreas fault near Parkfield: TREMOR, STRESS, AND LOWER-CRUSTAL CREEP
journal, July 2011

Evidence of earthquake triggering by the solid earth tides
journal, February 2009

Tidal triggering of low frequency earthquakes near Parkfield, California: Implications for fault mechanics within the brittle-ductile transition: TIDAL TRIGGERING OF LFES NEAR PARKFIELD
journal, May 2012

Pulse of the seafloor: Tidal triggering of microearthquakes at 9°50′N East Pacific Rise: TIDAL TRIGGERING AT 9°50′N EPR
journal, August 2007

Earth Tides Can Trigger Shallow Thrust Fault Earthquakes
journal, November 2004

Effects of shear velocity oscillations on stick-slip behavior in laboratory experiments
journal, January 2007

Tidal triggering of microearthquakes on the Juan de Fuca Ridge
journal, October 2001

Low friction and fault weakening revealed by rising sensitivity of tremor to tidal stress
journal, April 2015

Evidence for tidal triggering of earthquakes as revealed from statistical analysis of global data: TIDAL TRIGGERING OF EARTHQUAKES
journal, October 2002

Widespread Triggering of Nonvolcanic Tremor in California
journal, January 2008

Inferring fault rheology from low-frequency earthquakes on the San Andreas: FAULT RHEOLOGY ON THE SAN ANDREAS
journal, November 2013

Tremor-tide correlations and near-lithostatic pore pressure on the deep San Andreas fault
journal, December 2009

Why earthquakes correlate weakly with the solid Earth tides: Effects of periodic stress on the rate and probability of earthquake occurrence
journal, January 2003

Asperity Model of an Earthquake: Static Problem
journal, March 2002

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