Coseismic deformation fields and a fault slip model for the Mw7.8 mainshock and Mw7.3 aftershock of the Gorkha-Nepal 2015 earthquake derived from Sentinel-1A SAR interferometry

Abstract

Coseismic deformation fields caused by the moment magnitude (Mw)7.8 mainshock and Mw7.3 aftershock of the 2015 Gorkha-Nepal earthquake are obtained by analyzing Sentinel-1A/IW ascending and descending interferometry data. Results show that the deformation field associated with the Mw7.8 mainshock roughly resembles a prolate ellipse, extending from the epicenter about 20° east by south. The main region of deformation is about 160km by 110km, comprising a large southern area of uplift, and a small northern area of subsidence. Assuming that rupture occurred in a homogeneous elastic half-space, the coseismic fault slip models of the mainshock and aftershock are inverted based on a shallow dip fault constrained by the three data sets, Sentinel-1A/IW descending data, ascending data, and ALOS-2 descending data, separately or in combination. Mainshock slip distributions generated from all three data sets are similar, and inversion constrained by all three in combination reveal a comprehensive fault slip model. Indeed, coseismic slip is mainly distributed within a narrow 40km zone to the north of the Main Frontal Trust (MFT), and at 6–15km subsurface depth. In addition, the maximum slip in this event was about 5.1m, the Mw7.8 mainshock ruptured the deep part of the seismogenic zone, while the region between the southern boundary of the rupture area and the MFT remained locked. Therefore, a considerable earthquake risk remains to the south of Kathmandu. The inverted coseismic slip of the Mw7.3 aftershock was concentrated in a small area, close to, and southeast of the epicenter, with maximum displacement of about 3m. Finally, because there is no overlap between the two slip areas of the mainshock and aftershock, the gap between them, about 15km in length, has additional potential to generate future earthquakes.