Seismicity around Parkfield correlates with static shear stress changes following the 2003 Mw6.5 San Simeon earthquake

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth
By: , and 

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Abstract

Earthquakes trigger other earthquakes, but the physical mechanism of the triggering is currently debated. Most studies of earthquake triggering rely on earthquakes listed in catalogs, which are known to be incomplete around the origin times of large earthquakes and therefore missing potentially triggered events. Here we apply a waveform matched-filter technique to systematically detect earthquakes along the Parkfield section of the San Andreas Fault from 46 days before to 31 days after the nearby 2003 Mw6.5 San Simeon earthquake. After removing all possible false detections, we identify ~8 times more earthquakes than in the Northern California Seismic Network catalog. The newly identified events along the creeping section of the San Andreas Fault show a statistically significant decrease following the San Simeon main shock, which correlates well with the negative static stress changes (i.e., stress shadow) cast by the main shock. In comparison, the seismicity rate around Parkfield increased moderately where the static stress changes are positive. The seismicity rate changes correlate well with the static shear stress changes induced by the San Simeon main shock, suggesting a low friction in the seismogenic zone along the Parkfield section of the San Andreas Fault.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Seismicity around Parkfield correlates with static shear stress changes following the 2003 Mw6.5 San Simeon earthquake
Series title Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth
DOI 10.1002/jgrb.50271
Volume 118
Issue 7
Year Published 2013
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Contributing office(s) Earthquake Science Center
Description 16 p.
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth
First page 3576
Last page 3591
Country United States
State California
Other Geospatial Parkfield
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