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How fast is rupture during an earthquake? New insights from the 1999 Turkey Earthquakes
Author(s) -
Bouchon Michel,
Bouin MariePaule,
Karabulut Hayrullah,
Toksöz M. Nafi,
Dietrich Michel,
Rosakis Ares J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2001gl013112
Subject(s) - seismology , geology , earthquake prediction , remotely triggered earthquakes , earthquake rupture , shear (geology) , foreshock , fault (geology) , aftershock , seismic gap , petrology
We report that during the two devastating 1999 earthquakes in Turkey, rupture propagated over a large part of the nearly 200km long fault zone at supershear speed approaching 5km/s. We present observations and modeling which confirm the original inference of supershear rupture during the Izmit earthquake and we show that supershear rupture also occurred during the Düzce earthquake. We show that the rupture velocity measured—about times the shear wave velocity—is the value predicted by theoretical studies in fracture dynamics. We look for clues to explain these observations.