Frictional healing and induced earthquakes on conventionally stable faults.

ABSTRACT: Conventional studies suggest that faults in the shallow subsurface resist earthquake nucleation, because their frictional strength increases as slip accelerates (i.e., velocity-strengthening friction). Contrary to this widely held notion, such nominally stable faults frequently host earthquakes induced by human activities. Here, we resolve this contradiction using numerical models that simulate both geological and earthquake timescales using rate-and-state friction. Faults could develop significant interface strength, expressed as increase in static frictions by around 0.25, due to "healing" over thousands to millions of years. This strength gain can be released to nucleate earthquakes, also on velocity-strengthening faults. These earthquakes exhibit efficient frictional weakening similar

SUBMITTER: Li M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12528417 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature