B-value variations in the Central Chile seismic gap assessed by a Bayesian transdimensional approach
Abstract The b-value can be used to characterize the seismic activity for a given earthquake catalog and provide information on the stress level accumulated at active faults. Here we develop an algorithm to objectively estimate variations of b-value along one arbitrary dimension. To this end, we emp...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25338-4 |
| _version_ | 1828164813417611264 |
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| author | Catalina Morales-Yáñez Luis Bustamante Roberto Benavente Christian Sippl Marcos Moreno |
| author_facet | Catalina Morales-Yáñez Luis Bustamante Roberto Benavente Christian Sippl Marcos Moreno |
| author_sort | Catalina Morales-Yáñez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The b-value can be used to characterize the seismic activity for a given earthquake catalog and provide information on the stress level accumulated at active faults. Here we develop an algorithm to objectively estimate variations of b-value along one arbitrary dimension. To this end, we employ a Bayesian transdimensional approach where the seismic domains will be self-defined according to information in the seismic catalog. This makes it unnecessary to prescribe the location and extent of domains, as it is commonly done. We first show the algorithm’s robustness by performing regressions from synthetic catalogs, recovering the target models with great accuracy. We also apply the algorithm to a microseismicity catalog for the Central Chile region. This segment is considered a seismic gap where the last major earthquake with shallow slip was in 1730. Our results illuminate the downdip limit of the seismogenic zone and the transition to intraslab seismicity. In the along-strike direction, low b-value coincides with the extent of locked asperities, suggesting a high-stress loading at the Central Chile seismic gap. Our results indicate the reliability of the Bayesian transdimensional method for capturing robust b-value variations, allowing us to characterize the mechanical behavior on the plate interface of subduction zones. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:32:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4161666b23da4ac0bcd001fd4697c6c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:32:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-4161666b23da4ac0bcd001fd4697c6c12022-12-22T03:53:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-12-0112111210.1038/s41598-022-25338-4B-value variations in the Central Chile seismic gap assessed by a Bayesian transdimensional approachCatalina Morales-Yáñez0Luis Bustamante1Roberto Benavente2Christian Sippl3Marcos Moreno4Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad Católica de la Santísima ConcepciónDepartment of Geophysics, Universidad de ConcepciónDepartment of Civil Engineering, Universidad Católica de la Santísima ConcepciónInstitute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy of SciencesDepartment of Geophysics, Universidad de ConcepciónAbstract The b-value can be used to characterize the seismic activity for a given earthquake catalog and provide information on the stress level accumulated at active faults. Here we develop an algorithm to objectively estimate variations of b-value along one arbitrary dimension. To this end, we employ a Bayesian transdimensional approach where the seismic domains will be self-defined according to information in the seismic catalog. This makes it unnecessary to prescribe the location and extent of domains, as it is commonly done. We first show the algorithm’s robustness by performing regressions from synthetic catalogs, recovering the target models with great accuracy. We also apply the algorithm to a microseismicity catalog for the Central Chile region. This segment is considered a seismic gap where the last major earthquake with shallow slip was in 1730. Our results illuminate the downdip limit of the seismogenic zone and the transition to intraslab seismicity. In the along-strike direction, low b-value coincides with the extent of locked asperities, suggesting a high-stress loading at the Central Chile seismic gap. Our results indicate the reliability of the Bayesian transdimensional method for capturing robust b-value variations, allowing us to characterize the mechanical behavior on the plate interface of subduction zones.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25338-4 |
| spellingShingle | Catalina Morales-Yáñez Luis Bustamante Roberto Benavente Christian Sippl Marcos Moreno B-value variations in the Central Chile seismic gap assessed by a Bayesian transdimensional approach Scientific Reports |
| title | B-value variations in the Central Chile seismic gap assessed by a Bayesian transdimensional approach |
| title_full | B-value variations in the Central Chile seismic gap assessed by a Bayesian transdimensional approach |
| title_fullStr | B-value variations in the Central Chile seismic gap assessed by a Bayesian transdimensional approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | B-value variations in the Central Chile seismic gap assessed by a Bayesian transdimensional approach |
| title_short | B-value variations in the Central Chile seismic gap assessed by a Bayesian transdimensional approach |
| title_sort | b value variations in the central chile seismic gap assessed by a bayesian transdimensional approach |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25338-4 |
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