Citation

Fan W, Shearer PM. Science 2016; 353(6304): 1133-1136.

Affiliation

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0225, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science)

DOI

10.1126/science.aag0013

PMID

27609887

Abstract

Aftershocks are often triggered by static- and/or dynamic-stress changes caused by mainshocks. The relative importance of the two triggering mechanisms is controversial at near-to-intermediate distances. We detected and located 48 previously unidentified large early aftershocks triggered by earthquakes with magnitudes between ≥7 and 8 within a few fault lengths (approximately 300 kilometers), during times that high-amplitude surface waves arrive from the mainshock (less than 200 seconds). The observations indicate that near-to-intermediate-field dynamic triggering commonly exists and fundamentally promotes aftershock occurrence. The mainshocks and their nearby early aftershocks are located at major subduction zones and continental boundaries, and mainshocks with all types of faulting-mechanisms (normal, reverse, and strike-slip) can trigger early aftershocks.

Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Language: en