TY - JOUR A1 - Pena, Carlos A1 - Heidbach, Oliver A1 - Moreno, Marcos A1 - Bedford, Jonathan A1 - Ziegler, Moritz 0. A1 - Tassara, Andres Ollero A1 - Oncken, Onno T1 - Role of Lower Crust in the Postseismic Deformation of the 2010 Maule Earthquake: Insights from a Model with Power-Law Rheology JF - Pure and applied geophysics N2 - The surface deformation associated with the 2010 M-w 8.8 Maule earthquake in Chile was recorded in great detail before, during and after the event. The high data quality of the continuous GPS (cGPS) observations has facilitated a number of studies that model the postseismic deformation signal with a combination of relocking, afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation using linear rheology for the upper mantle. Here, we investigate the impact of using linear Maxwell or power-law rheology with a 2D geomechanical-numerical model to better understand the relative importance of the different processes that control the postseismic deformation signal. Our model results reveal that, in particular, the modeled cumulative vertical postseismic deformation pattern in the near field (< 300 km from the trench) is very sensitive to the location of maximum afterslip and choice of rheology. In the model with power-law rheology, the afterslip maximum is located at 20-35 km rather than > 50 km depth as suggested in previous studies. The explanation for this difference is that in the model with power-law rheology the relaxation of coseismically imposed differential stresses occurs mainly in the lower crust. However, even though the model with power-law rheology probably has more potential to explain the vertical postseismic signal in the near field, the uncertainty of the applied temperature field is substantial, and this needs further investigations and improvements. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-018-02090-3 SN - 0033-4553 SN - 1420-9136 VL - 176 IS - 9 SP - 3913 EP - 3928 PB - Springer CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Farïas, Marcelo A1 - Vargas, Gabriel A1 - Tassara, Andrés A1 - Carretier, Sébastien A1 - Baize, Stéphane A1 - Melnick, Daniel A1 - Bataille, Klaus T1 - Land-level changes produced by the M-w 8.8 2010 Chilean earthquake N2 - We observed vertically displaced coastal and river markers after the 27 February 2010 Chilean earthquake [moment magnitude (Mw) 8.8]. Land-level changes range between 2.5 and -1 meters, evident along an ~500-kilometers- long segment identified here as the maximum length of coseismic rupture. A hinge line located 120 kilometers from the trench separates uplifted areas, to the west, from subsided regions. A simple elastic dislocation model fits these observations well; model parameters give a similar seismic moment to seismological estimates and suggest that most of the plate convergence since the 1835 great earthquake was elastically stored and then released during this event. Y1 - 2010 UR - http://www.sciencemag.org/ U6 - https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1192094 SN - 0036-8075 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Moreno, Marcelo Spegiorin A1 - Melnick, Daniel A1 - Rosenau, M. A1 - Báez, Juan Carlos A1 - Klotz, Jan A1 - Oncken, Onno A1 - Tassara, Andres A1 - Chen, J. A1 - Bataille, Klaus A1 - Bevis, M. A1 - Socquet, Anne A1 - Bolte, John A1 - Vigny, C. A1 - Brooks, B. A1 - Ryder, I. A1 - Grund, Volker A1 - Smalley, B. A1 - Carrizo, Daniel A1 - Bartsch, M. A1 - Hase, H. T1 - Toward understanding tectonic control on the M-w 8.8 2010 Maule Chile earthquake JF - Earth & planetary science letters N2 - The Maule earthquake of 27th February 2010 (M-w = 8.8) affected similar to 500 km of the Nazca-South America plate boundary in south-central Chile producing spectacular crustal deformation. Here, we present a detailed estimate of static coseismic surface offsets as measured by survey and continuous GPS, both in near- and far-field regions. Earthquake slip along the megathrust has been inferred from a Joint inversion of our new data together with published GPS, InSAR, and land-level changes data using Green's functions generated by a spherical finite-element model with realistic subduction zone geometry. The combination of the data sets provided a good resolution, indicating that most of the slip was well resolved. Coseismic slip was concentrated north of the epicenter with up to 16 m of slip, whereas to the south it reached over 10 m within two minor patches. A comparison of coseismic slip with the slip deficit accumulated since the last great earthquake in 1835 suggests that the 2010 event closed a mature seismic gap. Slip deficit distribution shows an apparent local overshoot that highlight cycle-to-cycle variability, which has to be taken into account when anticipating future events from interseismic observations. Rupture propagation was obviously not affected by bathymetric features of the incoming plate. Instead, splay faults in the upper plate seem to have limited rupture propagation in the updip and along-strike directions. Additionally, we found that along-strike gradients in slip are spatially correlated with geometrical inflections of the megathrust. Our study suggests that persistent tectonic features may control strain accumulation and release along subduction megathrusts. KW - GPS KW - Chile KW - Maule KW - slip model KW - FEM Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.01.006 SN - 0012-821X VL - 321 IS - 3 SP - 152 EP - 165 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Melnick, Daniel A1 - Moreno, Marcos A1 - Cisternas, Marco A1 - Tassara, Andres T1 - Darwin seismic gap closed by the 2010 Maule earthquake JF - Andean geology N2 - The Maule earthquake (Mw 8.8) that affected south-central Chile on February 27, 2010 was preceded by the 1835 event documented by FitzRoy and Darwin. The relation between both events has been controversial. Fault slip in 2010 estimated by Lorito et al. (2011) is less than expected from 175 years of strain accumulation, leading them to conclude only limited overlap between the 2010 and 1835 events, and that a Mw 7.5-8 event could still strike the Concepcion region. However, Lorito et al.'s model was based on displacements obtained from only 6 GPS stations and underpredicts observations from recent studies. Here we show that an alternative model based on 169 GPS displacements reproduces the data better, suggesting Lorito et al.'s main conclusion is not correct. Based on a slip deficit map, we suggest the seismic gap opened in 1835 was most likely closed in 2010. KW - Maule earthquake KW - Coseismic slip distribution KW - Slip deficit KW - Seismic gap Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5027/andgeoV39n3-a11 SN - 0718-7092 VL - 39 IS - 3 SP - 558 EP - 563 PB - Servicio Nacional de Geologìa y Minerìa CY - Santiago ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vargas, Gabriel A1 - Farias, Marcelo A1 - Carretier, Sebastien A1 - Tassara, Andres A1 - Baize, Stephane A1 - Melnick, Daniel T1 - Coastal uplift and tsunami effects associated to the 2010 M(w)8.8 Maule earthquake in Central Chile JF - Andean geology N2 - On February 27, 2010 at 03:34:08 AM an M(w)8.8 earthquake, with epicenter located off Cobquecura (73.24 degrees W; 36.29 degrees S), severely hit Central Chile. The tsunami waves that followed this event affected the coastal regions between the cities of Valparaiso and Valdivia, with minor effects as far as Coquimbo. The earthquake occurred along the subduction of the Nazca oceanic plate beneath the South American plate. Coseismic coastal uplift was estimated through observations of bleached lithothamnioids crustose coralline algae, which were exposed after the mainshock between 34.13 degrees S and 38.34 degrees S, suggesting the latitudinal distribution of the earthquake rupture. The measured coastal uplift values varied between 240 +/- 20 cm at sites closer to the trench along the western coast of the Arauco peninsula and 15 +/- 10 cm at sites located farther east. A maximum value of 260 +/- 50 cm was observed at the western coast of Santa Maria Island, which is similar to the reported uplift associated with the 1835 earthquake at Concepcion. Land subsidence values on the order of 0.5 m to 1 m evidenced a change in polarity and position of the coseismic hinge at 110-120 km from the trench. In four sites along the coast we observed a close match between coastal uplift values deduced from bleached lithothamnioids algae and GPS measurements. According to field observations tsunami heights reached ea. 14 m in the coastal area of the Maule Region immediately north of the epicenter, and diminished progressively northwards to 4-2 m near Valparaiso. Along the coast of Cobquecura, tsunami height values were inferior to 2-4 m. More variable tsunami heights of 6-8 m were measured at Dichato-Talcahuano and Tirua-Puerto Saavedra, in the Biobio and Arauco regions, respectively, to the south of the epicenter. According to eyewitnesses, the tsunami reached the coast between 12 to 20 and 30 to 45 minutes in areas located closer and faraway from the earthquake rupture zone, respectively. Destructive tsunami waves arrived also between 2.5 and 4.5 hours after the mainshock, especially along the coast of the Biobio and Arauco regions. The tsunami effects were highly variable along the coast, as a result of geomorphological and bathymetric local conditions, besides potential complexities induced by the main shock. KW - M(w)8.8 Maule earthquake KW - Central Chile KW - Coseismic coastal uplift KW - Tsunami effect Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5027/andgeoV38n1-a12 SN - 0718-7106 VL - 38 IS - 1 SP - 219 EP - 238 PB - Servicio Nacional de Geologìa y Minerìa CY - Santiago ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Melnick, Daniel A1 - Hillemann, Christian A1 - Jara Muñoz, Julius A1 - Garrett, Ed A1 - Cortes-Aranda, Joaquin A1 - Molina, Diego A1 - Tassara, Andrés A1 - Strecker, Manfred T1 - Hidden Holocene Slip Along the Coastal El Yolki Fault in Central Chile and Its Possible Link With Megathrust Earthquakes JF - Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth N2 - Megathrust earthquakes are commonly accompanied by increased upper-plate seismicity and occasionally triggered fault slip. In Chile, crustal faults slipped during and after the 2010 Maule (M8.8) earthquake. We studied the El Yolki fault (EYOF), a transtensional structure midways the Maule rupture not triggered in 2010. We mapped a Holocene coastal plain using light detection and ranging, which did not reveal surface ruptures. However, the inner-edge and shoreline angles along the coastal plain as well as 4.3- to 4.0-ka intertidal sediments are back-tilted on the EYOF footwall block, documenting 10 m of vertical displacement. These deformed markers imply similar to 2-mm/year throw rate, and dislocation models a slip rate of 5.6 mm/year for the EYOF. In a 5-m-deep trench, the Holocene intertidal sediments onlap to five erosive steps, interpreted as staircase wave-cut landforms formed by discrete events of relative sea level drop. We tentatively associated these steps with coseismic uplift during EYOF earthquakes between 4.3 and 4.0 ka. The Maule earthquake rupture may be subdivided into three subsegments based on coseismic slip and gravity anomalies. Coulomb stress transfer models predict neutral stress changes at the EYOF during the Maule earthquake but positive changes for a synthetic slip distribution at the central subsegment. If EYOF earthquakes were triggered by megathrust events, their slip distribution was probably focused in the central subsegment. Our study highlights the millennial variability of crustal faulting and the megathrust earthquake cycle in Chile, with global implications for assessing the hazards posed by hidden but potentially seismogenic coastal faults along subduction zones. KW - Central Chile KW - megathrust earthquake KW - crustal fault KW - seismotectonic segmentation KW - Middle Holocene KW - sea level change Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JB017188 SN - 2169-9313 SN - 2169-9356 VL - 124 IS - 7 SP - 7280 EP - 7302 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER -