Physical Properties Controlling Earthquake Ruptures: Two Study Cases Along the South American Subduction Zone
Abstract Seismic velocity models were compared with coseismic slip distributions for two megathrust earthquakes that occurred along the South American subduction zone. By analyzing the distribution of Vp/Vs ratios, we found that seismic anomalies with values higher or lower than the average coincide with the boundaries of the earthquake ruptures. In contrast, the regions characterized by intermediate Vp/Vs values may represent a mechanical “sweet spot” where the physical properties create favorable conditions for sustained rupture propagation. Our methodology, which combines the Vp/Vs distribution and the analysis of coseismic slip models, could reveal the rupture‐prone regions and the likely magnitude of potential earthquakes, providing relevant information for seismic hazard assessment.
Authors
- S. L. Beck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2701-2549)
- S. W. Roecker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6231-5812)
- Sergio León‐Ríos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6076-6388)
- Mario Ruiz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0872-6573)
- Mónica Segovia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6785-2476)
- Audrey Galvé (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0312-2885)
- Lidong Bie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8130-7084)
- Philippe Charvis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4397-7842)
- Andreas Rietbrock (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3946-7826)
- D. Comte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2073-0492)
- A. Meltzer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3141-6071)
Institutions
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (DE)
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (US)
- Lehigh University (US)
- Université Côte d'Azur (FR)
- Instituto Geofísico de la Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EC)
- Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (FR)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR)
- University of Chile (CL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Published
- 2025-07-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl114615
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- earthquake and tectonic studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.73
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo
- Natural Environment Research Council