The ubiquitous creeping segments on oceanic transform faults
Matt Wei
University of Rhode Island
- Date & Time
- Location
- Online-only seminar via Microsoft Teams
- Summary
Oceanic transform faults (OTFs) are a significant component of the global plate boundary system. How and why fault slip on OTFs is accommodated is still not fully understood. Here, we conducted a global survey of seismic segmentation on OTFs by relocating M≥5 earthquakes on OTFs. We show that creeping segments are ubiquitous, and they contribute significantly to the earthquake segmentation and low seismic coupling ratio on OTFs. We also found five types of along-strike distribution of creeping segments, depending on geological structures and fault zone heterogeneity. The mechanism of fault creep on OTFs is still unclear but the richness of fluid in the environment seems to be very important.