Tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip, the Atacama fault system in Northern Chile
Abstract Inland-normal faulting is recognised as an important process following large subduction earthquakes. The lack of data limits the understanding of how normal fault reactivation relates to the subduction earthquake cycle. We characterised the palaeoseismology of the Atacama fault system (AFS)...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86877-0 |
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| author | Gabriel Gonzalez Luis Astudillo-Sotomayor Ian Del Rio André Oliveira Sawakuchi Will Amidon |
| author_facet | Gabriel Gonzalez Luis Astudillo-Sotomayor Ian Del Rio André Oliveira Sawakuchi Will Amidon |
| author_sort | Gabriel Gonzalez |
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| description | Abstract Inland-normal faulting is recognised as an important process following large subduction earthquakes. The lack of data limits the understanding of how normal fault reactivation relates to the subduction earthquake cycle. We characterised the palaeoseismology of the Atacama fault system (AFS) in the Chilean subduction zone. Our results showed that upper plate normal faulting earthquakes with Mw 7.0 and recurrence intervals of 35 ± 9 ky generated surface ruptures preserved as fault scarps. The average fault slip rate of 0.07 ± 0.01 m/kyr is three orders of magnitude slower than the convergence velocity, and the recurrence intervals of surface-rupturing earthquakes on the studied faults are much larger than the recurrence of great to giant (Mw > 8.5) subduction earthquakes in the Chilean margin. This demonstrates that the reactivation of an individual fault in the AFS is not always synchronised with this type of subduction earthquake. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-06dbcba0a1b4487fb755f9a4e8afa8d9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-06dbcba0a1b4487fb755f9a4e8afa8d92025-01-26T12:29:10ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-86877-0Tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip, the Atacama fault system in Northern ChileGabriel Gonzalez0Luis Astudillo-Sotomayor1Ian Del Rio2André Oliveira Sawakuchi3Will Amidon4National Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (CIGIDEN), Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del NorteNational Research Center for Integrated Natural Disaster Management (CIGIDEN), Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del NorteInstitute of Geosciences, University of São PauloInstitute of Geosciences, University of São PauloGeology Department Middlebury CollegeAbstract Inland-normal faulting is recognised as an important process following large subduction earthquakes. The lack of data limits the understanding of how normal fault reactivation relates to the subduction earthquake cycle. We characterised the palaeoseismology of the Atacama fault system (AFS) in the Chilean subduction zone. Our results showed that upper plate normal faulting earthquakes with Mw 7.0 and recurrence intervals of 35 ± 9 ky generated surface ruptures preserved as fault scarps. The average fault slip rate of 0.07 ± 0.01 m/kyr is three orders of magnitude slower than the convergence velocity, and the recurrence intervals of surface-rupturing earthquakes on the studied faults are much larger than the recurrence of great to giant (Mw > 8.5) subduction earthquakes in the Chilean margin. This demonstrates that the reactivation of an individual fault in the AFS is not always synchronised with this type of subduction earthquake.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86877-0PalaeoseismologyUpper plate faultChilean subductionAtacama fault systemLuminescence datingSeismic hazard |
| spellingShingle | Gabriel Gonzalez Luis Astudillo-Sotomayor Ian Del Rio André Oliveira Sawakuchi Will Amidon Tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip, the Atacama fault system in Northern Chile Scientific Reports Palaeoseismology Upper plate fault Chilean subduction Atacama fault system Luminescence dating Seismic hazard |
| title | Tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip, the Atacama fault system in Northern Chile |
| title_full | Tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip, the Atacama fault system in Northern Chile |
| title_fullStr | Tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip, the Atacama fault system in Northern Chile |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip, the Atacama fault system in Northern Chile |
| title_short | Tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip, the Atacama fault system in Northern Chile |
| title_sort | tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip the atacama fault system in northern chile |
| topic | Palaeoseismology Upper plate fault Chilean subduction Atacama fault system Luminescence dating Seismic hazard |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86877-0 |
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