Repository logo
 
Publication

The 1998 Faial earthquake, Azores: Evidence for a transform fault associated with the Nubia-Eurasia plate boundary?

dc.contributor.authorMarques, Fernando O.
dc.contributor.authorCatalão, J.
dc.contributor.authorHildenbrand, A.
dc.contributor.authorCosta, A. C. G.
dc.contributor.authorDias, Nuno
dc.date.accessioned2015-08-25T11:13:25Z
dc.date.available2015-08-25T11:13:25Z
dc.date.issued2014-10
dc.description.abstractWith very few exceptions, M > 4 tectonic earthquakes in the Azores show normal fault solution and occur away from the islands. Exceptionally, the 1998 shock was pure strike-slip and occurred within the northern edge of the Pico-Faial Ridge. Fault plane solutions show two possible planes of rupture striking ENE-WSW (dextral) and NNW-SSE (sinistral). The former has not been recognised in the Azores, but is parallel to the transform direction related to the relative motion between the Eurasia and Nubia plates. Therefore, the main question we address in the present study is: do transform faults related to the Eurasia/Nubia plate boundary exist in the Azores? Knowing that the main source of strain is related to plate kinematics, we conclude that the sinistral strike-slip NNW-SSE fault plane solution is not consistent with either the fault dip (ca. 65, which is typical of a normal fault) or the ca. ENE-WSW direction of maximum extension; both are consistent with a normal fault, as observed in most major earthquakes on faults striking around NNW-SSE in the Azores. In contrast, the dextral strike-slip ENE-WSW fault plane solution is consistent with the transform direction related to the anticlockwise rotation of Nubia relative to Eurasia. Altogether, tectonic data, measured ground motion, observed destruction, and modelling are consistent with a dextral strike-slip source fault striking ENE-WSW. Furthermore, the bulk clockwise rotation measured by GPS is typical of bookshelf block rotations observed at the termination of such master strike-slip faults. Therefore, we suggest that the 1998 earthquake can be related to the WSW termination of a transform (ENE-WSW fault plane solution) associated with the Nubia-Eurasia diffuse plate boundary. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.por
dc.identifier.citationMARQUES, F. O.; [et al] – The 1998 Faial earthquake, Azores: Evidence for a transform fault associated with the Nubia-Eurasia plate boundary? Tectonophysics. ISSN: 0040-1951. Vol. 633 (2014), pp. 115-155por
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.tecto.2014.06.024
dc.identifier.issn0040-1951
dc.identifier.issn1879-3266
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/4992
dc.language.isoengpor
dc.peerreviewedyespor
dc.publisherElsevier Science BVpor
dc.subjectAzores triple junctionpor
dc.subject1998 Faial earthquakepor
dc.subjectTransform faultpor
dc.subjectBlock rotation and fault terminationpor
dc.subjectFaial grabenpor
dc.subjectTerceira riftpor
dc.titleThe 1998 Faial earthquake, Azores: Evidence for a transform fault associated with the Nubia-Eurasia plate boundary?por
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.conferencePlaceAmsterdampor
oaire.citation.endPage155por
oaire.citation.startPage115por
oaire.citation.titleTectonophysicspor
oaire.citation.volume633por
person.familyNameDias
person.givenNameNuno
person.identifier1348964
person.identifier.ciencia-idDB10-5086-2205
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-7672-4476
person.identifier.ridB-2778-2008
person.identifier.scopus-author-id56640885300
rcaap.rightsclosedAccesspor
rcaap.typearticlepor
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationd7e4c7da-29b6-439f-ab4a-f5d94c1d7ca5
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoveryd7e4c7da-29b6-439f-ab4a-f5d94c1d7ca5

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
The 1998 Faial earthquake.pdf
Size:
2.36 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: