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Characteristics of slow slip events explained by rate-strengthening faults subject to periodic pore fluid pressure changes
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  • Andrea Perez-Silva,
  • Yoshihiro Kaneko,
  • Martha Savage,
  • Laura Wallace,
  • Emily Warren-Smith
Andrea Perez-Silva
Victoria University of Wellington

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Yoshihiro Kaneko
Kyoto University
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Martha Savage
Victoria University of Wellington
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Laura Wallace
GNS Science, University of Texas
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Emily Warren-Smith
GNS Science
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Abstract

Geophysical observations indicate that temporal pore fluid pressure changes correlate with slow slip events (SSEs) occurring along the shallow portion of the Hikurangi margin and in different subduction zones. These fluctuations in pore fluid pressure are attributed to fluid migration before and during SSEs, which may modulate SSE occurrence. To examine the effect of pore fluid pressure changes on SSE generation, we develop numerical models in which periodic pore-pressure perturbations are applied to a stably sliding, rate-strengthening fault. By varying the physical characteristics of the pore-pressure perturbations (amplitude, characteristic length and period), we find models that reproduce shallow Hikurangi SSE properties (duration, magnitude, slip, recurrence) and SSE moments and durations from different subduction zones. The stress drops of modeled SSEs range from ~20-120 kPa while the amplitudes of pore-pressure perturbations is several MPa, broadly consistent with those inferred from observations. Our results indicate that large permeability values of 10-14 to 10-10 m2 are needed to reproduce the observed SSE properties. Such high values could be due to transient and localized increases in fault zone permeability in the shear zone where SSEs occur. Our results suggest that SSEs may arise on faults in rate-strengthening frictional conditions subject to pore-pressure perturbations.
07 Jan 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive
09 Jan 2023Published in ESS Open Archive