arXiv subjects

Romain Jolivet

Publications and source records attributed to Romain Jolivet.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Seismogenic Potential of the Subduction Zone in Northern Chile

The northern Chile region of the Nazca subduction zone ruptured in an Mw$\sim$8.5--9.0 earthquake in 1877, which induced a tsunami. The various magnitude estimates of this event are based on the evaluation of historical records, seismic intensities, and/or tide gauge information; however, its actual along-strike extent is debated. Based on geodetic data, the previous studies have suggested that this region has the potential for an Mw8.2--8.8 event. We re-evaluate the seismic potential of the region, accounting for the buildup rate of moment deficit along the megathrust, the earthquake magnitude--frequency distribution, and the physics of earthquakes. We combine an improved probabilistic estimate of moment deficit rate with results from dynamic models of the earthquake cycle, testing, in particular, the influence of a potential aseismic barrier near the city of Iquique, which may influence the extent and magnitude of large events in this region. We find that Mw8.8 is the most probable maximum magnitude earthquake in the region, and that the potential barrier likely has a limited impact considering uncertainties. We discuss the effect of the moment deficit rate on the fault, the b-value, and the importance of postseismic processes on our results.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2021

Signature of transition to supershear rupture speed in coseismic off-fault damage zone

Most earthquake ruptures propagate at speeds below the shear wave velocity within the crust, but in some rare cases, ruptures reach supershear speeds. The physics underlying the transition of natural subshear earthquakes to supershear ones is currently not fully understood. Most observational studies of supershear earthquakes have focused on determining which fault segments sustain fully-grown supershear ruptures. Experimentally cross-validated numerical models have identified some of the key ingredients required to trigger a transition to supershear speed. However, the conditions for such a transition in nature are still unclear, including the precise location of this transition. In this work, we provide theoretical and numerical insights to identify the precise location of such a transition in nature. We use fracture mechanics arguments with multiple numerical models to identify the signature of supershear transition in coseismic off-fault damage. We then cross-validate this signature with high-resolution observations of fault zone width and early aftershock distributions. We confirm that the location of the transition from subshear to supershear speed is characterized by a decrease in the width of the coseismic off-fault damage zone. We thus help refine the precise location of such a transition for natural supershear earthquakes.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2020

Tremor Waveform Denoising and Automatic Location with Neural Network Interpretation

Active faults release tectonic stress imposed by plate motion through a spectrum of slip modes, from slow, aseismic slip, to dynamic, seismic events. Slow earthquakes are often associated with tectonic tremor, non-impulsive signals that can easily be buried in seismic noise and go undetected. We present a new methodology aimed at improving the detection and location of tremors hidden within seismic noise. After identifying tremors with a classic convolutional neural network, we rely on neural network attribution to extract core tremor signatures and denoise input waveforms. We then use these cleaned waveforms to locate tremors with standard array-based techniques. We apply this method to the Cascadia subduction zone, where we identify tremor patches consistent with existing catalogs. In particular, we show that the cleaned signals resulting from the neural network attribution analysis correspond to a waveform traveling in the Earth's crust and mantle at wavespeeds consistent with local estimates. This approach allows us to extract small signals hidden within the noise, and therefore to locate more tremors than in existing catalogs.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2020

Autonomous Extraction of Millimeter-scale Deformation in InSAR Time Series Using Deep Learning

Systematic characterization of slip behaviours on active faults is key to unraveling the physics of tectonic faulting and the interplay between slow and fast earthquakes. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), by enabling measurement of ground deformation at a global scale every few days, may hold the key to those interactions. However, atmospheric propagation delays often exceed ground deformation of interest despite state-of-the art processing, and thus InSAR analysis requires expert interpretation and a priori knowledge of fault systems, precluding global investigations of deformation dynamics. Here we show that a deep auto-encoder architecture tailored to untangle ground deformation from noise in InSAR time series autonomously extracts deformation signals, without prior knowledge of a fault's location or slip behaviour. Applied to InSAR data over the North Anatolian Fault, our method reaches 2 mm detection, revealing a slow earthquake twice as extensive as previously recognized. We further explore the generalization of our approach to inflation/deflation-induced deformation, applying the same methodology to the geothermal field of Coso, California.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2017

Fast and slow earthquakes emerge due to fault geometrical complexity

Active faults release elastic strain energy via a whole continuum of modes of slip, ranging from devastating earthquakes to Slow Slip Events and persistent creep. Understanding the mechanisms controlling the occurrence of rapid, dynamic slip radiating seismic waves (i.e. earthquakes) or slow, silent slip (i.e. SSEs) is a fundamental point in the estimation of seismic hazard along subduction zones. On top of showing slower rupture propagation velocity than earthquakes, SSEs exhibit different scaling relationships, which could reflect either different physical mechanisms or an intriguing lack of observations. Like earthquakes, SSEs are bound to occur along unstable portions of active faults, raising the question of the physical control of the mode of slip (seismic or aseismic) along these sections. Here, we use the numerical implementation of a simple rate-weakening fault model to explain the spontaneous occurrence, the characteristics and the scaling relationship of SSEs and earthquakes. We show that the simplest of fault geometrical complexities with uniform friction properties can reproduce slow and fast earthquakes without appealing to complex rheologies or mechanisms. Our model helps resolve many of the existing paradoxes between observations and physical models of earthquakes and SSEs.

physics.geo-ph↗