Constraining the Dip of Shallow, Shallowly Dipping Thrust Events Using Long-Period Love Wave Radiation Patterns: Applications to the 25 October 2010 Mentawai, Indonesia, and 4 May 2018 Hawaii Island Earthquakes

Abstract

Constraining precise faulting geometry for shallow, shallowly dipping thrust earthquakes is a common challenge. Plate boundary megathrust faults near the trench and décollement faults beneath volcanic islands and nappes may dip only a few degrees. Long‐period point source moment tensor waveform inversions provide limited resolution of shallow fault dip angle. The possibility of splay faulting requires precise dip estimation. High sensitivity to dip is provided by long‐period Love wave amplitude azimuthal radiation patterns, which undergo rapid change from four lobed to two lobed as dip decreases from 10° to 0°. Modeling variability in Love wave nodal amplitudes allows the dip to be determined to within a few degrees. This is demonstrated for the 25 October 2010 Mentawai (M_(WW) 7.8) tsunami earthquake, which ruptured the 2.0–5.0° dipping megathrust beneath the shallow sedimentary wedge offshore of Indonesia, and the 4 May 2018 Hawaii Island (M_(WW) 6.9) thrust earthquake, which ruptured the 2.5–7.5° dipping décollement under the island flank.

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