Abstract - This study provides spatiotemporal constraints on seismicity within fault zones and identifies key links between fault step and event migration.
We show that event distributions in seismic swarms can image stepping geometries reminiscent of relay zones commonly observed along fault zones.
Earthquake migration can propagate across steps, indicating a transfer of deformation, but can be obstructed by others. Preliminary quantitative results show that
whether a step transfers or blocks deformation depends on the separation between the bounding segments relative to the maximum magnitude of the events. These
findings support the importance of understanding the role of internal fault geometry on seismicity and show that high accuracy event locations provide a critical
understanding of seismicity.
Second International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy, Society of Exploration Geophysicists and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 3166-3169, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1190/image2022-3738967.1