TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of metamorphic crustal densification on earthquake size in warm slabs
AU - Wang, Kelin
AU - Cassidy, John F.
AU - Wada, Ikuko
AU - Smith, Alex J.
PY - 2004/1/16
Y1 - 2004/1/16
N2 - Some recent damaging earthquakes occurred in the lower crust or mantle of warm subducting slabs. They are consistent with a theoretical prediction that larger events tend to be deeper inside the slab as a result of mechanical damage to the crust caused by metamorphic rock densification. The densification begins in a thin layer along the slab surface, inducing a stretching force in it. Fracture spacing scales with layer thickness, resulting in a "shattered" upper crust in which earthquake ruptures have limited propagation distance. In contrast, the more uniform untransformed substrata can host larger ruptures. Often, the lack of compression in warm-slab mantle is also consistent with a shattered crust.
AB - Some recent damaging earthquakes occurred in the lower crust or mantle of warm subducting slabs. They are consistent with a theoretical prediction that larger events tend to be deeper inside the slab as a result of mechanical damage to the crust caused by metamorphic rock densification. The densification begins in a thin layer along the slab surface, inducing a stretching force in it. Fracture spacing scales with layer thickness, resulting in a "shattered" upper crust in which earthquake ruptures have limited propagation distance. In contrast, the more uniform untransformed substrata can host larger ruptures. Often, the lack of compression in warm-slab mantle is also consistent with a shattered crust.
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U2 - 10.1029/2003GL018644
DO - 10.1029/2003GL018644
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:2442617181
VL - 31
SP - L01605 1-4
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
SN - 0094-8276
IS - 1
ER -