3D Seismic Velocity Structure in the Rupture Area of the 2010 Maule Mw=8.8 Earthquake Stephen Hicks Andreas Rietbrock Isabelle Ryder Stuart Nippress Christian Haberland 10.6084/m9.figshare.1022863.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/3D_Seismic_Velocity_Structure_in_the_Rupture_Area_of_the_2010_Maule_Mw_8_8_Earthquake/1022863 <p>The 2010 Mw=8.8 Maule, Chile earthquake is one of the largest subduction zone earthquakes ever recorded. Up to now numerous co-seismic and some post-seismic slip models have been published based entirely on seismological, geodetic, or tsunami run-up heights, or combinations of these data. Most of these models use a simplified megathrust geometry derived mainly from global earthquake catalogues, and also simplified models of seismic parameters (e.g. shear modulus). By using arrival times for a vast number of aftershocks that have been recorded on a temporary seismic array, we present a new model for the slab geometry based on earthquake locations together with a new 3D seismic velocity model of the region, for both vp and vp/vs. We analyzed 3552 aftershocks that occurred between 18 March and 24 May 2011, recorded by the International Maule Aftershock Dataset (IMAD) seismic network. Event selection from a catalogue of automatically-determined events was based on 20 or more arrival times, from which at least 10 are S-wave observations. In total over 170,000 arrival times (~125,000 and 45,000 P and S wave arrival times respectively) are used for the tomographic reconstructions. Initially, events were relocated in a 2D velocity model based on a previously published model for the southern end of the rupture area (Haberland et al., 2009). Afterwards a staggered inversion scheme is implemented, starting with a 2D inversion followed by a coarse 3D and a subsequent fine 3D inversion. Based on our preliminary inversions we conclude that aftershock seismicity is mainly concentrated between 20 and 35 km depth along the subduction interface. A second band of seismicity between 40 and 50 km depth is also observed. Low seismic velocities and an increased vp/vs ratio characterize the marine forearc. The obtained velocity model will be discussed.</p> 2014-05-11 08:29:56 earthquake Subduction zone Megathrust chile Seismic tomography Geophysics