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AGU: Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth

 

Keywords

  • episodic tremor and slip
  • northern Cascadia
  • spatiotemporal distribution

Index Terms

  • Tectonophysics: Subduction zone processes
  • Seismology: Subduction zones
  • Geographic Location: North America
  • Tectonophysics: Stresses: crust and lithosphere
  • Tectonophysics: Plate boundary: general
Abstract
Cited By (12)
 

Abstract

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 114, B00A12, 20 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2008JB006046

Northern Cascadia episodic tremor and slip: A decade of tremor observations from 1997 to 2007

Honn Kao

Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Pacific Geoscience Centre, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada

Shao-Ju Shan

Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Pacific Geoscience Centre, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada

Herb Dragert

Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Pacific Geoscience Centre, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada

Garry Rogers

Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Pacific Geoscience Centre, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada

We analyze continuous seismic and GPS records collected in the last decade (1997–2007) to establish the most comprehensive observational basis for northern Cascadia episodic tremor and slip (ETS) events. A simple “ETS scale” system, using a combination of a letter and a digit, is proposed to quantitatively characterize the spatial and temporal dimensions of ETS events. Clear correlation between GPS and tremor signals is observed for all A/B class episodes, but the GPS signature is less obvious for minor ones. Regular ETS recurrence can be established only for A/B class episodes in southern Vancouver Island. Halting and jumping are very common in ETS migration patterns, and along-strike migration can happen in both directions. A prominent tremor gap is observed in midisland around 49.5°N. This gap coincides with the epicenters of the only two large earthquakes beneath Vancouver Island. ETS tremors also tend to occur in places where the local seismicity is relatively sparse. The tremor depth distribution shows a peak in the 25–35 km range where strong seismic reflectors (i.e., the E layer) are documented. Detailed waveform analysis confirms the existence of shallow tremors above the currently interpreted plate interface. Our results suggest that a significant portion of the tremor activity and perhaps associated shearing are taking place along well-developed structures such as the E layer, while fewer tremor bursts are generated elsewhere in response to the induced stress variation throughout the source volume.

Received 29 August 2008; accepted 22 July 2009; published 21 November 2009.

Citation: Kao, H., S.-J. Shan, H. Dragert, and G. Rogers (2009), Northern Cascadia episodic tremor and slip: A decade of tremor observations from 1997 to 2007, J. Geophys. Res., 114, B00A12, doi:10.1029/2008JB006046.

Cited By

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