Seismicity modulation by external stress perturbations in plate boundary vs. stable plate interior

Abstract

Characterization of critically stressed seismogenic fault systems in diverse tectonic settings can be used to explore the stress/frictional condition of faults, along with its sensitivity for seismicity modulation by periodic stress perturbation. However, the process of seismicity modulation in response to external stress perturbation remains debated. In this paper, the characteristic difference in the seismicity modulation due to resonance destabilization phenomenon governed by rate-and-state friction is presented and validated with the globally reported cases of seismicity modulation in diverse tectonic settings. The relatively faster-moving plate boundary regions are equally susceptible for both shorter-period (e.g., semi-diurnal, diurnal, and other small tidal constituents) and long-period (e.g., semi-annual, annual, pole tide and pole wobble) seismicity modulation processes in response to stress perturbations from natural harmonic forcing, including tidal, semi-annual, annual, or multi-annual time scales. In contrast, slowly deforming stable plate interior regions and diffuse deformation zones appear to be more sensitive for long-period seismicity modulation of semi-annual, annual, or even multi-annual time scales but less sensitive for short-period seismicity modulation. This finding is also supported by the theoretical model predictions from the resonance destabilization process and worldwide documented natural observations of seismicity modulation in diverse types of tectonic settings.