Why do the largest continental earthquakes nucleate on branch faults?

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Why do the largest continental earthquakes nucleate on branch faults?

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https://temblor.net/earthquake-insights ... lts-16395/

Why do the largest continental earthquakes nucleate on branch faults?


POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 BY TEMBLOR
New research suggests branch faults serve as on-ramps to major fault superhighways. The key to this phenomenon might be that the branch fault ruptures faster than seismic waves can travel — the equivalent of breaking the sound barrier in Earth’s crust — delivering a strong kick to the major fault.

By Ross S. Stein, Temblor, Inc. and Peter Bird, UCLA

Citation: Stein, R. S., and Bird, P., 2024, Why do the largest continental earthquakes nucleate on branch faults?, Temblor, http://doi.org/10.32858/temblor.351
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