Small faults formed as deformation bands in sandstone

Small faults with displacements of a few millimeters or centimeters are abundant in the Entrada and Navajo Sandstones, in the San Rafael Desert, Utah, where they are important primary structures, preceding the development of large faults with displacements of several meters or tens of meters. The small faults contain no surfaces of discontinuity, rather they occur asdeformation bands about one millimeter and tens or hundreds of meters long, and across which the displacements are distributed. Two zones with different modes of deformation can be distinguished within a deformation band: an outer zone where the matrix, including pores and matrix material, deforms; and an inner zone, about 0.5 mm thick, where the sand grains fracture and further consolidation takes place. Fracturing of the grains is controlled by contact geometry; the grains tend to split into subgrains along lines connecting contact points between the grains. Then the angular subgrains, which are readily fractured, are further granulated and mixed with the matrix. The final product is the deformation band, with much smaller grain size, poorer sorting, and lower porosity than the original parent sandstone. The sandstone on either side of a deformation band is almost undisturbed-fractures are rare there — so that deformation is highly localized within the band. The material within a deformation band apparently strain hardens as a result of the deformation; perhaps this is why the shear displacement across a deformation band is at most a few centimeters.     

A viscoelastic relaxation model for post-seismic deformation from the San Francisco earthquake of 1906

We present a realistic model of the San Andreas fault zone. We propose that aseismic ground displacement is a sum of visco-elastic relaxation following large earthquakes, transient fault slip, steady fault slip and a large-scale relative plate motion. We used the model to explain the aseismic ground displacements observed after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.The data do not resolve the question of which is the dominant mechanism, but viscoelastic relaxation can contribute a significant fraction of the displacement if the elastic plate thickness is 50 km or less. If the relative plate motion is taken to be 5.5 cm/yr, as found from plate rotation pole studies, then the zone of significant shearing in the mantle is probably at least 100 km thick beneath California.     

Principal Slip Zones in Limestone: Microstructural Characterization and Implications for the Seismic Cycle (Tre Monti Fault, Central Apennines, Italy)

Earthquakes in central Italy, and in other areas worldwide, often nucleate within and rupture through carbonates in the upper crust. During individual earthquake ruptures, most fault displacement is thought to be accommodated by thin principal slip zones. This study presents detailed microstructural observations of the slip zones of the seismically active Tre Monti normal fault zone. All of the slip zones cut limestone, and geological constraints indicate exhumation from <2?km depth, where ambient temperatures are ?100°C. Scanning electron microscope observations suggest that the slip zones are composed of 100% calcite. The slip zones of secondary faults in the damage zone contain protocataclastic and cataclastic fabrics that are cross-cut by systematic fracture networks and stylolite dissolution surfaces. The slip zone of the principal fault has much more microstructural complexity, and contains a 2?C10?mm thick ultracataclasite that lies immediately beneath the principal slip surface. The ultracataclasite itself is internally zoned; 200?C300???m-thick ultracataclastic sub-layers record extreme localization of slip. Syn-tectonic calcite vein networks spatially associated with the sub-layers suggest fluid involvement in faulting. The ultracataclastic sub-layers preserve compelling microstructural evidence of fluidization, and also contain peculiar rounded grains consisting of a central (often angular) clast wrapped by a laminated outer cortex of ultra-fine-grained calcite. These ??clast-cortex grains?? closely resemble those produced during layer fluidization in other settings, including the basal detachments of catastrophic landslides and saturated high-velocity friction experiments on clay-bearing gouges. An overprinting foliation is present in the slip zone of the principal fault, and electron backscatter diffraction analyses indicate the presence of a weak calcite crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) in the fine-grained matrix. The calcite c-axes are systematically inclined in the direction of shear. We suggest that fluidization of ultracataclastic sub-layers and formation of clast-cortex grains within the principal slip zone occurred at high strain rates during propagation of seismic ruptures whereas development of an overprinting CPO occurred by intergranular pressure solution during post-seismic creep. Further work is required to document the range of microstructures in localized slip zones that cross-cut different lithologies, and to compare natural slip zone microstructures with those produced in controlled deformation experiments.     

Monte Carlo Inversion of DInSAR Data for Dislocation Modeling: Application to the 1997 Umbria-Marche Seismic Sequence (Central Italy)

— The study of surface deformation due to seismic activity is often made using dislocations with uniform slip and simple geometries. A better modeling of coseismic and postseismic surface displacements can be obtained by using dislocations with variable slip and nonregular shapes. This is consistent with the asperity model of fault surfaces, assuming a friction distribution on faults made of locked zones with much higher friction than surrounding zones. In this paper we consider the 1997–1998 Colfiorito seismic sequence. The coseismic surface displacements in the Colfiorito zone are used in order to infer the slip distribution on the fault surface at different stages of the sequence. The displacement field has been modeled varying the slip distribution on the fault, and comparing the deformation observed by SAR and GPS techniques with model results. The slip distribution is calculated by Monte Carlo simulations on a normal fault with the dip angle equal to 40°. A good approximation is obtained by using square asperity units of 1.5×1.5 km². In the first stage, we employed a simplified model with uniform slip, in which each asperity unit is allowed to slip a constant amount or not to slip at all, and in the second stage, we evaluate the slip distribution in the dislocation area determined by the Monte Carlo inversion: in this case we allow unit cells to undergo different values of slip in order to refine the initial dislocation model. The results show that the 1997 seismic events of the sequence can be modeled by irregular dislocations, obtaining a good fit to the DInSAR and GPS observations. The model also confirms the results of previous studies by a different methodology, defining the distribution of asperities on the fault plane using the fault geometry, the geodetic data and the seismic moment of the 1997–1998 Colfiorito seismic sequence. Furthermore, the analysis of 1997 aftershocks in the seismogenic region shows a strong correlation between most events and the asperity distribution, which can be considered as an independent test of the validity of the model.     

Earthquake Rupture at Focal Depth,Part I: Structure and Rupture of the Pretorius Fault,TauTona Mine,South Africa

We analyze the structure of the Archaean Pretorius fault in TauTona mine, South Africa, as well as the rupture-zone that recently reactivated it. The analysis is part of the Natural Earthquake Laboratory in South African Mines (NELSAM) project that utilizes the access to 3.6 km depth provided by the mining operations. The Pretorius fault is a ~10 km long, oblique-strike-slip fault with displacement of up to 200 m that crosscuts fine to very coarse grain quartzitic rocks in TauTona mine. We identify here three structural zones within the fault-zone: (1) an outer damage zone, ~100 m wide, of brittle deformation manifested by multiple, widely spaced fractures and faults with slip up to 3 m; (2) an inner damage zone, 25–30 m wide, with high density of anastomosing conjugate sets of fault segments and fractures, many of which carry cataclasite zones; and (3) a dominant segment, with a cataclasite zone up to 50 cm thick that accommodated most of the Archaean slip of the Pretorius fault, and is regarded as the ‘principal slip zone’ (PSZ). This fault-zone structure indicates that during its Archaean activity, the Pretorius fault entered the mature fault stage in which many slip events were localized along a single, PSZ. The mining operations continuously induce earthquakes, including the 2004, M2.2 event that rejuvenated the Pretorius fault in the NELSAM project area. Our analysis of the M2.2 rupture-zone shows that (1) slip occurred exclusively along four, pre-existing large, quasi-planer segments of the ancient fault-zone; (2) the slipping segments contain brittle cataclasite zones up to 0.5 m thick; (3) these segments are not parallel to each other; (4) gouge zones, 1-5 mm thick, composed of white ‘rock-flour’ formed almost exclusively along the cataclasite-host rock contacts of the slipping segments; (5) locally, new, fresh fractures branched from the slipping segments and propagated in mixed shear-tensile mode; (6) the maximum observed shear displacement is 25 mm in oblique-normal slip. The mechanical analysis of this rupture-zone is presented in Part II (Heesakkers et al., Earthquake Rupture at Focal Depth, Part II: Mechanics of the 2004 M2.2 Earthquake Along the Pretorius Fault, TauTona mine, South Africa 2011, this volume).     

2014年美国加州纳帕M_W6.1地震断层参数的Sentinel-1A InSAR反演

2014年8月24日,在美国加州旧金山海湾北部的纳帕地区发生了MW6.1地震.发震断层是西纳帕断裂系统中的一部分,但是该断层之前并未被足够重视.本文利用欧洲空间局最近发射成功并刚刚投入使用的Sentinel-1A卫星获取的第一对同震干涉像对(20140807-20140831),得到了该地震的地表同震形变场,结合震后24h内区域GPS同震形变资料作为约束条件,反演了纳帕地震的断层几何参数以及滑动分布.Sentinel-1A干涉结果表明,此次地震造成了明显的地面形变,视线向最大抬升和最大沉降量均达到了10cm.联合反演结果表明,该发震断层的走向为344°,倾角为80°.主要破裂以右旋走滑为主,平均倾滑角为-146.5°,最大倾滑量达到了1.1m,位于地表下约4km,存在明显的滑动亏损现象.此次地震,累计释放地震矩达1.5×1018 N·m,约合矩震级MW6.1.该结果略小于InSAR单独约束结果,可能与Sentinel-1A像对中包含的快速震后形变分量有关.     

川西地区长周期气温变化对跨断层位移观测的影响及芦山地震前的异常断层活动

2013年4月20日四川芦山M7.0级地震前2-3年,川西地区的跨断层位移出现群体性、准同步的异常趋势转折,但有些场地的辅助气温观测也呈现相似变化.为探寻这些趋势转折是否为热形变,本文基于鲜水河、安宁河-则木河、龙门山断裂带上的短基线、短水准及辅助气温观测数据,使用频谱分析及统计分析方法,研究跨断层位移与气温之间的关系,并利用主模式分析方法研究芦山地震前各断裂带的运动特征.结果显示：（1） 在大于2.63 a的周期上,短基线、短水准与气温的频率成分较为相似,它们之间为弱-中等强度的相关.（2） 气温变化不是芦山地震前跨断层位移发生趋势转折的主要影响因素.除个别场地外,长周期热形变在总的跨断层位移中所占比重较小,对其趋势变化的影响有限.（3） 主模式分析表明,2010年前后,鲜水河断裂带的左行走滑和张性运动有所减弱,安宁河-则木河、龙门山断裂带的张性运动也开始减弱（或者说压性增强）.这些变化特征可能反映了在这一时期巴颜喀拉块体SE-SEE向运动的加剧.     

Similarities between strike-slip faults at different scales and a simple age determining method for active faults

Abstract Several differently scaled strike‐slip faults were examined. The faults shared many geometric features, such as secondary fractures and linkage structures (damage zones). Differences in fault style were not related to specific scale ranges. However, it was recognized that differences in style may occur in different tectonic settings (e.g. dilational/contractional relays or wall/linkage/tip zones), different locations along the master fault or different fault evolution stages. Fractal dimensions were compared for two faults (Gozo and San Andreas), which supports the idea of self‐similarity. Fractal dimensions for traces of faults and fractures of damage zones were higher (D ～1.35) than for the main fault traces (D ～1.005) because of increased complexity due to secondary faults and fractures. Based on the statistical analysis of another fault evolution study, single event movements in earthquake faults typically have a maximum earthquake slip : rupture length ratio of approximately 10^?4, although this has only been established for large earthquake faults because of limited data. Most geological faults have a much higher maximum cumulative displacement : fault length ratio; that is, approximately 10^?2 to 10^?1 (e.g. Gozo, ～10^?2; San Andreas, ～10^?1). The final cumulative displacement on a fault is produced by accumulation of slip along ruptures. Hence, using the available information from earthquake faults, such as earthquake slip, recurrence interval, maximum cumulative displacement and fault length, the approximate age of active faults can be estimated. The lower limit of estimated active fault age is expressed with maximum cumulative displacement, earthquake slip and recurrence interval as T ? (d_max /u) · I(M).     

2021年青海玛多MS7.4地震同震应力场与形变台站同震阶变分布关系探讨

利用基于升、降轨InSAR形变场及余震精定位结果反演得到的同震滑动模型,通过PSGRN/PSCMP程序获得同震水平形变场及应力场分布特征,结合玛多M_S7.4地震周边形变同震阶变台站分布特征,探讨同震应力场变化与同震阶变台站分布间的关系。模拟得到的水平形变场结果显示,此次玛多地震为左旋走滑运动特征,水平形变量主要集中在巴颜喀拉块体内,其次是北部的柴达木块体;羌塘块体以及祁连块体同震水平位移量较小;昆仑山口-江错断裂作为一条NE倾向的走滑型断裂,断层上盘区域滑动量明显大于下盘,模拟得到的最大水平形变量达1380mm;形变同震阶变的台站主要集中分布在祁连山断裂带中东段以及西秦岭等地区,祁连山断裂带中东段位于此次玛多地震同震正应力变化正值区域,而西秦岭等地区则处于玛多地震同震剪切应力变化的正值区域,即出现同震阶变的台站与同震应力场变化的正值区域具有较好的一致性。     

Seismic measurements of the internal properties of fault zones

The internal properties within and adjacent to fault zones are reviewed, principally on the basis of laboratory, borehole, and seismic refraction and reflection data. The deformation of rocks by faulting ranges from intragrain microcracking to severe alteration. Saturated microcracked and mildly fractured rocks do not exhibit a significant reduction in velocity, but, from borehole measurements, densely fractured rocks do show significantly reduced velocities, the amount of reduction generally proportional to the fracture density. Highly fractured rock and thick fault gouge along the creeping portion of the San Andreas fault are evidenced by a pronounced seismic low-velocity zone (LVZ), which is either very thin or absent along locked portions of the fault. Thus there is a correlation between fault slip behavior and seismic velocity structure within the fault zone; high pore pressure within the pronounced LVZ may be conductive to fault creep. Deep seismic reflection data indicate that crustal faults sometimes extend through the entire crust. Models of these data and geologic evidence are consistent with a composition of deep faults consisting of highly foliated, seismically anisotropic mylonites.     

Fault rock analysis of the northern part of the Chelungpu Fault and its relation to earthquake faulting of the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, Taiwan

Abstract   The 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan ( M _w = 7.6) produced a surface rupture along the north–south-striking Chelungpu thrust fault with pure dip-slip (east side up) and left lateral strike-slip displacements. Near-field strong-motion data for the northern part of the fault illustrate a distinct lack of the high-frequency seismic radiation associated with a large slip (10–15 m) and a rapid slip velocity (2–4 m/s), suggesting a smooth seismic slip associated with low dynamic frictional resistance on the fault. A drillhole was constructed at shallow depths in the possible fault zones of the northern part of the Chelungpu Fault, which may have slipped during the 1999 earthquake. One of the zones consists of a 20-cm-thick, unconsolidated fault breccia with a chaotic texture lacking both discrete slip surfaces (e.g. Riedel shears) and grain crushing. Other possible fault zones are marked by the narrow (less than a few centimeters) gouge zone in which clayey material intrudes into the damaged zone outside of the gouge zone. These characteristic fault rock textures suggest that the slip mechanisms at shallow levels during the earthquake involved either granular flow of initially unconsolidated material or slip localization under elevated pore pressure along the narrow clayey gouge zone. Because both mechanisms lead to low dynamic frictional resistance on the fault, the rapid seismic slip in the deep portions of the fault (i.e. the source region of strong-motion radiation) could have been accommodated by frictionless slip on the shallow portions of the fault. The combination of strong-motion data and fault rock analysis suggests that smooth slip associated with low dynamic friction occurred on both the deep and shallow portions of the fault, resulting in a large slip between the source region and the surface in the northern region.     

The features of multiple fractures associated with the great Haiyuan 8.5 magnitude earthquake of 1920

It is deduced on the basis of field investigation that the total length of the stratigraphic fault associated with the great Haiyuan 8.5 magnitude earthquake of 1920 was 225 km. This fault was formed by 6 secondary faults with different geometric parameters, which align regularly inen echelon arrangement. Each secondary fault can be divided into three segments with different characteristics of deformation where the middle segment was mainly of the horizontal strike—slip fault while another two segments the vertical deformation as shown by the features of reverse or normal faults. It is also shown by the data of vertical and horizontal displacements that the horizontal displacement approached a maximum at the middle segment for each secondary fault and gradually decreased toward and finally disappeared at both ends of each segment while in contrast the vertical displacement was minimum at the middle and became large at both ends of the segment. The feature of the multiple peaks appeared in the deformation as shown by the earthquake displacements along the whole fault. This feature indicates that the 6 secondary faults associated with the great Haiyuan earthquake were the horizontal interrupted planes (i.e., dislocation surface) which were independent on each other, and hence each dislocation surface may represent an independent secondary fracture event of the earthquake. We thus think that the 6 relatively independent secondary events which occurred successfully might result in the great 8.5 magnitude Haiyuan earthquake. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,13, 21–31, 1991. This project is sponsored by the Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation.     

Brecciation processes in fault zones: Inferences from earthquake rupturing

Surface-rupture patterns and aftershock distributions accompanying moderate to large shallow earthquakes reveal a residual brittle infrastructure for established crustal fault zones, the complexity of which is likely to be largely scale-invariant. In relation to such an infrastructure, continued displacement along a particular master fault may involve three dominant mechanical processes of rock brecciation: (a)attrition brecciation, from progressive frictional wear along principal slip surfaces during both seismic and aseismic sliding, (b)distributed crush brecciation, involving microfracturing over broad regions when slip on the principal slip surfaces is impeded by antidilational jogs or other obstructions, and (c)implosion brecciation, associated with the sudden creation of void space and fluid-pressure differentials at dilational fault jogs during earthquake rupture propagation. These last, high-dilation breccias are particularly favorable sites for hydrothermal mineral deposition, forming transitory low-pressure channels for the rapid passage of hydrothermal fluids. Long-lived fault zones often contain an intermingling of breccias derived from all three processes.     

GNSS观测的九寨沟7.0级地震同震位移初步结果

2017年8月8日四川省九寨沟县发生了7.0级地震,中国大陆构造环境网络与北斗地基增强系统的GNSS连续观测共同监测到了此次地震的同震位移（坐标：东向为正,北向为正）,结果显示：3个站点记录到了明显的同震位移,距离震中43 km的九寨沟台站（SCJZ）在东西向的位移为-9.8±1.5 mm,在南北向的位移为3.3±0.7 mm;距离震中65 km的松潘站（SCSP）在东西向的位移为-1.8±0.7 mm,在南北向的位移为-7.7±0.6 mm;距离震中77 km的舟曲站（GSZQ）在东西向的位移为0.4±1.2 mm,在南北向的位移为3.6±0.8 mm.通过同震位移分布特征,可以推测此次地震为一次左旋走滑型事件,引起水平向同震位移大致不超过150 km范围,地震对东南侧的龙门山断裂带影响非常小,对北侧的塔藏断裂和西侧的岷江断裂处引起的同震位移为厘米级.同震位移的反演结果显示：断层面上滑动量主要集中在7 km深度,最大量值约为0.4 m,平均滑动角为-15°,利用滑动分布计算的相应矩震级为M_W6.4,与地震波反演结果相当.结合同震滑动分布、同震主应变分布、余震分布和震源机制解等特征,推测此次地震破裂极值区累积的能量得到较充分释放,进一步分析得出此次地震在塔藏断裂、岷江断裂和虎牙断裂处产生了一定的应力变化,值得持续关注.     

2014年新疆于田MS7.3地震同震位移及位错反演研究

利用于田震中300 km范围内的1个GPS连续站和12个GPS流动站数据,解算得到了2014年新疆于田M_S7.3地震地表同震位移,并反演了发震断层滑动分布,探讨此次地震对周边断裂的影响.地表同震位移结果显示,GPS观测到的同震位移范围在平行发震断裂带的北东-南西向约210 km,垂直发震断裂带的北西-南东方向约为120 km,同震位移量大于10 mm的测站位于震中距约120 km以内;同震位移特征整体表现为北东-南西方向的左旋走滑和北西-南东方向的拉张特征,其中在北东-南西方向,I069测站位移最大,约为32.1 mm,在北西-南东方向,XJYT测站位移最大,约为28.1 mm;位错反演结果表明,最大滑动位于北纬36.05°,东经82.60°,位于深部约16.6 km,最大错动量为2.75 m,反演震级为M_W7.0,同震错动呈椭圆形分布,以左旋走滑为主并具有正倾滑分量,两者最大比值约为2.5：1,同震错动延伸至地表,并向北东方向延伸,总破裂长度约50 km,地表最大错动约1.0 m;同震水平位移场模拟结果显示贡嘎错断裂、康西瓦断裂和普鲁断裂等不同位置主应变特征具有差异性,这种差异特征是否影响断裂带以及周围区域的应力构造特征,值得关注.     

富蕴地震断裂带北部细部结构特征

以8级地震时的水平位移作为地震断裂带分段依据，富蕴地震断裂带北部引张段长17km，而且水平位移不明显。富蕴地震断裂带的主体走滑段水平位移显著，除大震时的水平位移外，发震构造具多期次活动特征。     

Field-based description of near-surface crustal deformation in a high-strain shear zone: A case study in southern Kyushu,Japan

This study investigated geological evidence for near-surface crustal deformation in a high-strain shear zone that has been geodetically identified but which is not associated with obvious tectonic landforms. Fieldwork was conducted in the east–west-trending southern Kyushu high-strain shear zone (SKHZ), Japan, focusing mainly on occurrences of fracture zones, which are defined by a visible fracture density of >1 per 10 cm² and are commonly associated with cataclasite, fault breccia, and gouge. The area in which east–west-trending fracture zones are dominant is restricted to the east–west-trending, ~2-km-wide aftershock area of the 1997 Northwestern Kagoshima Earthquakes. Analysis of slip data from minor faults using the multiple inverse method, irrespective of whether the faults are in fracture zones, reveals that the area where the calculated main stress field is consistent with the current stress field estimated from focal-mechanism solutions of microearthquakes is restricted to the east–west-trending aftershock area. This finding for the SKHZ contrasts with the case of the Niigata–Kobe Tectonic Zone, which is a major strain-concentration zone with many exposed active faults in central Japan and for which the stress field estimated using fault-slip data is considered to be uniform and coincides with the current stress field. The cumulative amount of displacement estimated from the areal density of fracture zones in the SKHZ study area is smaller than that estimated from geodetically measured strain rates. Investigations based on slip data from minor faults and fracture-zone occurrence could help to identify concealed faults that are too small to generate tectonic landforms but which are sufficiently large to trigger major earthquakes.     

The Fluid Dynamics of Solid Mechanical Shear Zones

Shear zones in outcrops and core drillings on active faults commonly reveal two scales of localization, with centimeter to tens of meters thick deformation zones embedding much narrower zones of mm-scale to cm-scale. The narrow zones are often attributed to some form of fast instability such as earthquakes or slow slip events. Surprisingly, the double localisation phenomenon seem to be independent of the mode of failure, as it is observed in brittle cataclastic fault zones as well as ductile mylonitic shear zones. In both, a very thin layer of chemically altered, ultra fine grained ultracataclasite or ultramylonite is noted. We present an extension to the classical solid mechanical theory where both length scales emerge as part of the same evolutionary process of shearing the host rock. We highlight the important role of any type of solid-fluid phase transitions that govern the second degree localisation process in the core of the shear zone. In both brittle and ductile shear zones, chemistry stops the localisation process caused by a multiphysics feedback loop leading to an unstable slip. The microstructural evolutionary processes govern the time-scale of the transition between slow background shear and fast, intermittent instabilities in the fault zone core. The fast cataclastic fragmentation processes are limiting the rates of forming the ultracataclasites in the brittle domain, while the slow dynamic recrystallisation prolongs the transition to ultramylonites into a slow slip instability in the ductile realm.     

Global variability in subduction thrust zone-forearc systems

Deviations of slip vector azimuths of interplate thrust earthquakes from expected plate convergence directions at oblique subduction zones provide kinematic information about the deformation of forearcs and indirect evidence on the dynamics of the plate boundary. A global survey of slip vectors at major trenches of the world reveals a large variability in the kinematic response of forearcs to shear produced by oblique convergence. The variability in forearc deformation inferred from slip vector deflections is suggested to be caused by variations in forearc rheology rather than in the stresses acting on subduction zone thrust faults. Estimated apparent macroscopic rheologies range from elastic to perfectly plastic (or viscous). Forearc rheologies inferred from slip vectors do not correlate with age of the subducting lithosphere, but continental forearcs or old arcs appear to deform less than oceanic or young arcs. The inferred absence of forearc deformation at continental arcs from this study is counter to inferences drawn from compiled geologic information on forearc faults. Correlations of the apparent forearc rheology with backarc spreading, convergence rate, slab dip, arc curvature, and downdip length of the thrust contact are poor. However, great subduction zone earthquakes occur where forearcs are apparently more elastic (i.e., less deformed by oblique convergence), which suggests that the mechanical properties of forearcs rather than stress magnitude on thrust faults control both the kinematic behavior of forearcs and where great subduction zone earthquakes occur.