Title: Afterslip Enhanced Aftershock Activity During the 2017 Earthquake Sequence Near Sulphur Peak, Idaho

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [5]
  1. Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
  2. U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
  3. Saint Louis Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States)
  4. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  5. Univ. of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)
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An energetic earthquake sequence occurred during September to October 2017 near Sulphur Peak, Idaho. The normal–faulting Mw 5.3 mainshock of 2 September 2017 was widely felt in Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Over 1,000 aftershocks were located within the first 2 months, 29 of which had magnitudes ≥4.0 ML. High–accuracy locations derived with data from a temporary seismic array show that the sequence occurred in the upper (<10 km) crust of the Aspen Range, east of the northern section of the range–bounding, west–dipping East Bear Lake Fault. Moment tensors for 77 of the largest events show normal and strike–slip faulting with a summed aftershock moment that is 1.8–2.4 times larger than the mainshock moment. Here, we propose that the unusually high productivity of the 2017 Sulphur Peak sequence can be explained by aseismic afterslip, which triggered a secondary swarm south of the coseismic rupture zone beginning ~1 day after the mainshock.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
U.S. Geological Survey; USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1440499
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-22721
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 45; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (2)

Pervasive Foreshock Activity Across Southern California journal August 2019
Slow‐Growing and Extended‐Duration Seismicity Swarms: Reactivating Joints or Foliations in the Cahuilla Valley Pluton, Central Peninsular Ranges, Southern California journal April 2019

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58 GEOSCIENCES
Earth Sciences
earthquake seismology
seismic hazard
aftershocks