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Fluctuations in groundwater content may produce surface deformation and affect the elastic properties of the Earth's crust. In this study we evaluate the temporal variations of the Earth's crust el...

Continuous measurements of postseismic surface deformation provide insight into variations of the frictional strength of faults and the rheology of the lower crust and upper mantle as stresses following rupture are dissipated. However, due to the difficulty of capturing the earliest phase of afterslip, most analyses have focused on understanding postseismic processes over timescales of weeks‐to‐years. Here we investigate the kinematics, moment release and frictional properties of the earliest phase of afterslip within the first hours following the 2016 M_w 7.1 Kumamoto earthquake using a network of five‐minute sampled continuous GPS stations. Using independent component analysis to filter the GPS data we find that (1) early afterslip contributes only ~1% of total moment release within the first hour, and 8% after 24 hours. This suggests that the slip model of the mainshock, which we estimate using standard geodetic datasets (e.g., InSAR, GPS and pixel offsets), and which span the first four days of the postseismic period, is largely reflective of the dynamic rupture process and we can rule out contamination of moment release by early afterslip. (2) Early afterslip shows no evidence of a delayed nucleation or acceleration phase, where instead fault patches transition to immediate deceleration following rupture that is consistent with frictional relaxation under steady‐state conditions with dependence only on the sliding velocity. (3) There is a close correlation between the near‐field aftershocks and afterslip within the first hours following rupture, suggesting afterslip may still be an important possible triggering mechanism during the earliest postseismic period.

We present evidence of volcano-tectonic interactions at Sabancaya volcano that we relate to episodic magma injection and high regional fluid pore pressures. We present a surface deformation time se...

Detection of weak volcano deformation helps constrain characteristics of eruption cycles. We have developed a signal detection technique, called the Targeted Projection Operator (TPO), to monitor surface deformation with Global Positioning System (GPS) data. We have applied the TPO to GPS data collected at Akutan volcano from June 2005 to March 2017 and detected four inflation events that occurred in 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2016 with inflation rates of about 8~22 mm/yr above the background trend at a near-source site AV13. Numerical modeling suggests that the events should be driven by closely located sources or a single source in a shallow magma chamber at a depth of about 4 km. The inflation events suggest that magma has episodically accumulated in a shallow magma chamber.

The ultimate goal of volcanology is forecasting eruptions. This task is particularly challenging at calderas, where unrest is frequent, affects wider areas and its evidence is often masked by the activity of hydrothermal systems. A recent study has compiled a database on caldera unrest, derived from seismicity, geodetic, gravity and geochemical monitoring data at calderas worldwide, from 1988 to 2014. Here we exploit this database, searching for the most recurring features of unrest and, in turn, its possible dynamics. In particular, we focus on: a) the duration of unrest at calderas; b) recurring patterns in unrest; c) unrest episodes culminating in eruptions, including time- or size-predictability and a multivariate regression analysis. Our analysis indicates that pre-eruptive unrest is shorter than non-eruptive unrest, particularly with open or semi-open calderas, calderas with mafic or mixed composition of past eruptive products, or unrest driven by mafic magma; conversely, lack of data on pre-eruptive unrest driven by felsic magma and/or at felsic or plugged calderas prevents an analysis of these specific subsets. In addition, 72% of pre-eruptive unrest lasts

The postseismic deformation captured with continuous Global Positioning System (cGPS) monitoring following many recent mega-thrust events has been shown to be a signal composed of two dominant processes: afterslip on the plate interface and viscoelastic relaxation of the continental and oceanic mantles in response to the coseismic stress perturbation. Following the south-central Chile 2010 Maule Mw 8.8 earthquake, the time series from the regional cGPS network show a distinct curvature in the pathway of the horizontal motion that is not easily fit by a stationary decaying pattern of afterslip in combination with viscoelastic relaxation. Here we show that with realistic assumptions about the long-term decay of the afterslip signal, the postseismic signal can be decomposed into three first-order contributing processes: plate interface re-locking, plate interface afterslip, and mantle viscoelastic relaxation. From our analyses we conclude that the plate interface recovers its interseismic locking state rapidly (model space ranges between an instant recovery and a period of 1 year); a finding that supports laboratory experimental evidence as well as some recent studies of aftershocks and postseismic surface deformation. Furthermore, re-locking is the main cause of the curvature in the cGPS signal, and this study presents a plausible range of geodetic re-locking rates following a megathrust earthquake.

Continuous gravity data collected near the summit eruptive vent at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, during 2011–2015 show a strong correlation with summit-area surface deformation and the level of the lava lake within the vent over periods of days to weeks, suggesting that changes in gravity reflect variations in volcanic activity. Joint analysis of gravity and lava level time series data indicates that over the entire time period studied, the average density of the lava within the upper tens to hundreds of meters of the summit eruptive vent remained low—approximately 1000–1500 kg/m3. The ratio of gravity change (adjusted for Earth tides and instrumental drift) to lava level change measured over 15 day windows rose gradually over the course of 2011–2015, probably reflecting either (1) a small increase in the density of lava within the eruptive vent or (2) an increase in the volume of lava within the vent due to gradual vent enlargement. Superimposed on the overall time series were transient spikes of mass change associated with inflation and deflation of Kīlauea's summit and coincident changes in lava level. The unexpectedly strong mass variations during these episodes suggest magma flux to and from the shallow magmatic system without commensurate deformation, perhaps indicating magma accumulation within, and withdrawal from, void space—a process that might not otherwise be apparent from lava level and deformation data alone. Continuous gravity data thus provide unique insights into magmatic processes, arguing for continued application of the method at other frequently active volcanoes.

Calderas are among the most active and dangerous volcanoes. Caldera unrest is defined by enhanced seismicity, gravity changes, surface deformation, and degassing. Although much caldera unrest does not lead to an eruption, every eruption is preceded by an unrest episode. Therefore, the proper description of unrest and the forecast of its possible outcome is a timely and challenging task. Here we review the best known unrest at calderas from 1988 to 2014, building on previous work and proposing an updated database. Where established, the root cause for unrest is always magmatic; none was purely hydrothermal or tectonic. An interpretive classification of unrest invokes two spectra—compositional (mafic to felsic) and the state of magma conduits feeding from the magma reservoir(s) to the surface (from fully plugged, through semiplugged, to open). Magma and gas in open conduits can rise and erupt freely; magma in semiplugged conduits erupts less frequently yet still allows some gas to escape; plugged conduits allow neither magma nor gas to escape. Unrest in mafic calderas is subtler, less pronounced, and repeated, especially with open systems, ensuring the continuous, aseismic, and moderate release of magma. Plugged felsic calderas erupt infrequently, anticipated by isolated, short and seismically active unrest. Semiplugged felsic calderas also erupt infrequently and are restless over decades or centuries, with uplift, seismicity, and degassing and, on the longer-term, resurgence, suggesting repeated stalled intrusions. Finally, the expected advances in better understanding caldera unrest are discussed.

The Lusi mud eruption, in East Java, Indonesia, began in May 2006 and continues to the present. Previous analyses of surface deformation data suggested an exponential decay of the pressure in the mud source but did not constrain the location, geometry, and evolution of the possible source(s) of the erupting mud and fluids. To map the surface deformation, we employ multitemporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar and analyze a well-populated L-band data set acquired by the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) between May 2006 and April 2011. We then apply a time-dependent inverse modeling scheme. Volume changes occur in two regions beneath Lusi, at 0.3–2.0 km and 3.5–4.75 km depth. The cumulative volume change within the shallow source is ~2–3 times larger than that of the deep source. The observation and model suggest that a shallow source plays a key role by supplying the erupting mud, but that additional fluids do ascend from depths >4 km on eruptive timescales.

Lazufre volcanic center, located in the central Andes, is recently undergoing an episode of uplift, conforming one of the most extensive deforming volcanic systems worldwide, but its magmatic system and its connection with the observed uplift are still poorly studied. Here we image the electrical resistivity structure using the magnetotelluric method in the surroundings of the Lastarria volcano, one of the most important features in the Lazufre area, to understand the nature of the magmatic plumbing, the associated fumarolic activity, and the large-scale surface deformation. Results from 3-D modeling show a conductive zone at 6 km depth south of the Lastarria volcano interpreted as the magmatic heat source which is connected to a shallower conductor beneath the volcano, showing the pathways of volcanic gasses and heated fluid. A large-scale conductive area coinciding with the area of uplift points at a magma intrusion at midcrustal depth.

During the 3 May 1887 Mw 7.5 Sonora earthquake (surface rupture end-to-end length: 101.8 km), an array of three north-south striking Basin-and-Range Province faults (from north to south Pitaycachi, Teras, and Otates) slipped sequentially along the western margin of the Sierra Madre Occidental Plateau. This detailed field survey of the 1887 earthquake rupture zone along the Pitaycachi fault includes mapping the rupture scarp and measurements of surface deformation. The surface rupture has an endpoint-to-endpoint length of ≥41.0 km, dips ~70°W, and is characterized by normal left-lateral extension. The maximum surface offset is 487 cm and the mean offset 260 cm. The rupture trace shows a complex pattern of second-order segmentation. However, this segmentation is not expressed in the 1887 along-rupture surface offset profile, which indicates that the secondary segments are linked at depth into a single coherent fault surface. The Pitaycachi surface rupture shows a well-developed bipolar branching pattern suggesting that the rupture originated in its central part, where the polarity of the rupture bifurcations changes. Most likely the rupture first propagated bilaterally along the Pitaycachi fault. The southern rupture front likely jumped across a step over to the Teras fault and from there across a major relay zone to the Otates fault. Branching probably resulted from the lateral propagation of the rupture after breaching the seismogenic part of the crust, given that the much shorter ruptures of the Otates and Teras segments did not develop branches.

Seismicity in the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ) in the central United States constrains the location of present deformation at depth along four main distinct arms, while the surface expression of the ongoing deformation is still unclear. To better constrain the surface deformation in the NMSZ, we integrate existing seismic reflection data with a new ~300 km-long high-resolution seismic reflection profile acquired along the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, MO, to Caruthersville, MO. Based on the data, we interpret the Reelfoot Thrust and the New Markham Fault as upward splays of a blind master fault defined by the seismicity and extending at depth farther north. To the south, two faults, the Axial Fault and the Cottonwood Grove Fault, are imaged above the southern arm of the NMSZ. Both fault display deformation of the Paleozoic through the Tertiary sediments, and a relief of ~20–25 m at the base of the Quaternary alluvium, which we interpret as the result of strike-slip motion along a complex fault plane geometry. We propose two alternative interpretations for the relationship between the shallow faults and the seismicity in this area: (1) the faults merge at depth and are presently both active and (2) the faults are distinct at depth and were active during the Quaternary and only the Axial Fault is presently deforming. Geological structures mapped at the surface as part of this study show that Quaternary deformation is accommodated along a fault network that is more complex than the simple four-arm system illuminated by the seismicity, a behavior predicted by analog and computer models.

Along the San Bernardino strand of the San Andreas fault (SAF) and across the eastern California shear zone (ECSZ), geologic slip rates differ from those inverted from geodetic measurements, which may partly be due to inaccurate fault connectivity within geodetic models. We employ three-dimensional models that are mechanically compatible with long-term plate motion to simulate both fault slip rates and interseismic surface deformation. We compare results from fault networks that follow mapped geologic traces and resemble those used in block model inversions, which connect the San Jacinto fault to the SAF near Cajon Pass and connect distinct faults within the ECSZ. The connection of the SAF with the San Jacinto fault decreases strike-slip rates along the SAF by up to 10% and increases strike-slip rates along the San Jacinto fault by up to 16%; however, slip rate changes are still within the large geologic ranges along the SAF. The insensitivity of interseismic surface velocities near Cajon Pass to fault connection suggests that inverse models may utilize both an incorrect fault geometry and slip rate and still provide an excellent fit to interseismic geodetic data. Similarly, connection of faults within the ECSZ produces 36% greater cumulative strike-slip rates but less than 17% increase in interseismic velocity. When using overconnected models to invert GPS for slip rates, the reduced off-fault deformation within the models can lead to overprediction of slip rates. While the nature of fault intersections at depth remains enigmatic, fault geometries should be chosen with caution in crustal deformation models.

Crosscutting relationships of tectonic lineaments on Europa record the history of surface deformation. We mapped the displacement and orientation of older features crosscut by two types of lineaments: bands and double ridges. These measurements allow us to determine both the strike-perpendicular and strike-parallel displacement along investigated features. Double ridges record both ridge-perpendicular contraction and expansion, with a mean of 0.16 ± 0.06 km (needs space) of contraction based on the analysis of 16 double ridges. Bands record expansion, with a mean of 3.33 ± 0.27 km for the six bands analyzed, but with perpendicular displacement less than their apparent morphologic widths of 3–24 km. The implied global surface strain for double ridges (including those that expand) and bands is 2.22 ± 0.76% contraction and 7.60 ± 3.7% expansion, respectively. Double ridges thus may accommodate part of the surface expansion recorded by bands. Most current models for double ridges do not predict contraction. The models that satisfy the observations for bands are “slow-spreading” models, cryovolcanism, and folding.

Structural studies of synorogenic basins in Timor using field and remote sensing techniques provide new structural and geomorphic evidence for syn-collisional extension in the converging plate boun ...

Referred to as slow slip events, the transient aseismic slip that occurs along plate boundaries can be indirectly characterized through colocated seismicity, such as tectonic tremor and low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs). Using the timing of cataloged LFE and tremor activity in Guerrero, Mexico and northern Cascadia, I decompose the inter-aseismic GPS displacement, defined as the surface deformation between previously detected slow slip events, into separate regimes of tectonic loading and release. In such a way, previously undetected slow slip events that produce less than a millimeter of surface deformation are extracted from the geodetic noise. These new observations demonstrate that the inter-aseismic period is not quiescent and that slow slip occurs much more often than previously thought. This suggests that the plate interface where slow slip and tremor occur is in fact strongly coupled and that slow aseismic release occurs over a wide spectrum of time scales.

Sub-pixel correlation of pre- and post-event air photos reveal the complete near-field, horizontal surface deformation patterns of the 1992 M_w 7.3 Landers and 1999 M_w 7.1 Hector Mine ruptures. Total surface displacement values for both earthquakes are systematically larger than ‘on-fault’ displacements from geologic field surveys, indicating significant distributed, inelastic deformation occurred along these ruptures. Comparison of these two datasets show 46 ± 10% and 39 ± 22% of the total surface deformation was distributed over fault zones averaging 154 m and 121 m in width for the Landers and Hector Mine events, respectively. Spatial variations of distributed deformation along both ruptures show correlations with the type of near-surface lithology and degree of fault complexity; larger amounts of distributed shear occur where the rupture propagated through loose unconsolidated sediments, and areas of more complex fault structure. These results have basic implications for geologic-geodetic rate comparisons, and probabilistic seismic hazard analysis.

A subpixel level offset estimation technique was applied to SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images of Usu volcano, Japan. Using RADARSAT SAR amplitude images acquired from ascending and descending orbits, we generated a map of three-dimensional displacement vectors showing ground deformation associated with criptdome formation in April, 2000. Moreover, displacement velocities and volume changes were estimated. From April 3–29, inflation was observed with vertical and horizontal displacements each exceeding 20m. During the period of major activity from April 3–5, uplift and N-S spreading velocities reached 3.3m/day and 2.7m/day, respectively, while volume change was + 3.4 × 106 m³/day. Although this technique is less precise than other methods and is not very sensitive to local deformations, it provides several key advantages including (1) personnel are not required to enter hazardous areas, (2) it provides wide spatial coverage, and (3) it does not depend on coherence, making it more widely applicable than InSAR.

We study the coseismic and postseismic displacements related with the 1997 Umbria-Marche earthquake sequence by means of leveling lines along a deformed aqueduct located in the epicentral area. Comparing the 1960 and 10/1997 measurements we obtain 0.49±0.10 m of coseismic displacement distributed along 3 km across the normal fault zone. Modeling of the coseismic surface dislocation is obtained from a combination of low angle (38°) faults at depth and high angle (80°) upper fault branches. The best fit model indicates that the upper branches stop at 0.4 km below the ground surface and have 60% of slip with respect to the lower faults. The postseismic displacement measured during 1998 is 0.18 m and represents 36% of the apparent coseismic deformation. Moderate earthquakes in the Apennines and related surface deformation may thus result from curved faults that reflect the brittle-elastic properties of the uppermost crustal structures.

We propose a new model to overcome an apparent stress shadow paradox. The stress shadow of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was so effective in inhibiting earthquake activity that no M > 6 earthquakes occurred in the San Francisco Bay area for more than 70 years after the 1906 earthquake, with one exception: the 1911 Morgan Hill earthquake. How could this earthquake occur only 5 years after the 1906 earthquake in an area where earthquake activity should have been inhibited? Our model is characterized by localized locked patches on the Morgan Hill segment of the Calaveras fault surrounded by steadily creeping patches. According to this model, the tectonic stressing rate on the Morgan Hill segment is so high that the stress shadow caused by the 1906 earthquake can be dissipated within several years. This simple model is consistent with both the surface deformation data and the apparent earthquake recurrence at Morgan Hill, in contrast to two previous models which are either poorly constrained or have difficulty explaining such observations.

The two-dimensional displacement vector field on the Earth's surface associated with a large earthquake near Iwate volcano in Japan, was mapped by combining satellite radar interferometry images from two different track directions. The displacement reveals not only large main ruptures, but details of many small faults movement of aftershocks and volcanic earthquakes. The displacements of the aftershock faults coincide with a stress field reorganized by the main earthquake that accelerated the aftershock fault movements. The displacements mimic the topography, suggesting that repeated movements of the same faults in the Quaternary have led to the presently existing topography.

A field survey performed during the 1997 Umbria-Marche earthquake sequence led us to recognize ground and pavement ruptures associated with the three largest shocks (Mw ≥ 5.7). The ruptures are concentrated in narrow bands that, in part, are on and near previously mapped high-angle normal faults. The geometry of the ground deformation is consistent with the NE-trending extension indicated by CMT focal solutions of the mainshocks. The distribution of aftershocks suggests that the three mainshocks occurred on ∼40° SW-dipping normal faults. Geological investigations, modelling of expected coseismic elevation changes, and seismic data, suggest that the surface deformation is not the direct result of primary rupture of faults at depth.

Synthetic aperture radar imagery is widely used to study surface deformation induced by volcanic activity; however, it is rarely applied to quantify the evolution of lava domes, which is important for understanding hazards and magmatic system characteristics. We studied dome formation associated with eruptive activity at Mount Cleveland, Aleutian Volcanic Arc, in 2011–2012 using TerraSAR-X imagery. Interferometry and offset tracking show no consistent deformation and only motion of the crater rim, suggesting that ascending magma may pass through a preexisting conduit system without causing appreciable surface deformation. Amplitude imagery has proven useful for quantifying rates of vertical and areal growth of the lava dome within the crater from formation to removal by explosive activity to rebirth. We expect that this approach can be applied at other volcanoes that host growing lava domes and where hazards are highly dependent on dome geometry and growth rates.

Global Positioning System geodesy was used to measure surface deformation on Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat from October 6, 1995 to July 1, 1997 during initial dome growth and gravitational collapse. Our data from this period show non-axially symmetric horizontal displacements, and decreasing subsidence as a function of radial distance from the former topographic high of the volcanic edifice. Forward modeling suggests that surface deformation is caused by a shallow vertical dike (< 3 km), which expanded approximately 1 m, coupled with a deflating Mogi source at about 6 km depth. These inferred source parameters are in good agreement with independent observations of regional dike widths and preemption magma storage depth.

Satellite radar interferometric images of Long Valley caldera show a pattern of surface deformation that resembles that expected from analysis of an extensive suite of ground-based geodetic data. Images from 2 and 4 year intervals respectively, are consistent with uniform movement rates determined from leveling surveys. Synthetic interferograms generated from ellipsoidal-inclusion source models based on inversion of the ground-based data show generally good agreement with the observed images. Two interferograms show evidence for a magmatic source southwest of the caldera in a region not covered by ground measurements. Poorer image quality in the 4 year interferogram indicates that temporal decorrelation of surface radar reflectors is progressively degrading the fringe pattern in the Long Valley region.

[1] The variation of mechanical properties as a function of depth in the lithosphere controls the relationship between surface deformation and whole-lithosphere deformation. Where mechanical competence (elastic strength or viscous stiffness) is a continuous function with depth, surface deformation can be used to constrain either force balance or rheological parameters for the lithosphere. However, where competence is vertically discontinuous, the surface deformation and deformation at depth may have a range of relationships, including complete independence. Therefore, both inversions and forward models designed to test either rheology or stress state are highly sensitive to the a priori choice of a mechanical model.

[1] Using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measurements of the surface deformation at Fernandina Volcano, Galapagos (Ecuador), acquired between January 2003 and September 2010, we study the structure and the dynamics of the shallow magmatic system of the volcano. Through the analysis of spatial and temporal variations of the measured line-of-sight displacement we identify multiple sources of deformation beneath the summit and the southern flank. At least two sources are considered to represent permanent zones of magma storage given their persistent or recurrent activity. Elastic deformation models indicate the presence of a flat-topped magma reservoir at ∼1.1 km below sea level and an oblate-spheroid cavity at ∼4.9 km b.s.l. The two reservoirs are hydraulically connected. This inferred structure of the shallow storage system is in agreement with previous geodetic studies and previous petrological analysis of both subaerial and submarine lavas. The almost eight-year-long observation interval provides for the first time geodetic evidence for two subvolcanic lateral intrusions from the central storage system (in December 2006 and August 2007). Subvolcanic lateral intrusions could provide the explanation for enigmatic volcanic events at Fernandina such as the rapid uplift at Punta Espinoza in 1927 and the 1968 caldera collapse without significant eruption.

Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements carried out in Chile over the last two decades showed that an entire portion of the Nazca-South America subduction zone (38°S − 24°S) was locked over this period of time. The induced accumulation of elastic deformation in the upper-plate was not released until the recent Maule earthquake of 27 February 2010 (Mw 8.8) that ruptured the southern part of this section. Locking or coupling between the two plates varies both with depth and along strike. Here we use our own GPS data (an updated solution of our extended network in central Chile), combined with other published data sets, to quantify the spatial variations of the coupling that prevailed before the Maule earthquake. Using a simple elastic model based on the back-slip assumption, we show that coupling variations on the subduction plane are sufficient to explain the observed surface deformation, with no need of a sliver in central Chile. We identify four segments characterized by higher coupling and separated by narrow areas of lower coupling. This segmentation is in good agreement with historical and recent seismicity in Chile. In particular the narrow zones of lower coupling seem to have stopped most large seismic ruptures, including Maule's. These zones are often associated with irregular bathymetric or coastal features (fracture zones or peninsulas). Finally, coseismic and early post-seismic slip distribution of the Maule earthquake, occurring either in previously highly or weakly coupled zones, map a complex distribution of velocity-weakening and velocity-strengthening patches on the subduction interface.

[1] We present a new approach to extracting spatially and temporally continuous ground deformation fields from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data. We focus on unwrapped interferograms from a single viewing geometry, estimating ground deformation along the line-of-sight. Our approach is based on a wavelet decomposition in space and a general parametrization in time. We refer to this approach as MInTS (Multiscale InSAR Time Series). The wavelet decomposition efficiently deals with commonly seen spatial covariances in repeat-pass InSAR measurements, since the coefficients of the wavelets are essentially spatially uncorrelated. Our time-dependent parametrization is capable of capturing both recognized and unrecognized processes, and is not arbitrarily tied to the times of the SAR acquisitions. We estimate deformation in the wavelet-domain, using a cross-validated, regularized least squares inversion. We include a model-resolution-based regularization, in order to more heavily damp the model during periods of sparse SAR acquisitions, compared to during times of dense acquisitions. To illustrate the application of MInTS, we consider a catalog of 92 ERS and Envisat interferograms, spanning 16 years, in the Long Valley caldera, CA, region. MInTS analysis captures the ground deformation with high spatial density over the Long Valley region.

We estimate the depth distribution of slip in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake by applying new inversion methods to triangulation data collected near Point Arena, California. Modeling crustal deformation from antiplane slip in a half-space, we define three regularizing functionals to produce minimum-norm inverse problems. These functionals measure components of the coseismic change in elastic strain energy, stress magnitude, and stress variability and are all quadratic in slip. Orthogonality conditions define finite-dimensional representations of slip estimates. Coefficients of basis functions in these representations are estimated by damped least squares with damping parameter and faulting depth chosen by cross validation. The best resulting estimates exhibit right lateral slip to depths of 15 to 20 km with about 6 m of surface slip. This is consistent with directly observed offsets of cultural landmarks at the surface and indicates deeper faulting than has been previously inferred for the 1906 earthquake.

[1] We study the contribution of mantle flow to surface deformation within the Mediterranean Basin. Flow is modeled numerically based on lateral changes in mantle temperature estimated from tomography models. We find that modeling results are significantly affected by the properties of the selected tomography models. Shear-velocity models based on surface-wave observations achieve the highest resolution of upper-mantle structure, and, as a result, are most successful in predicting microplate motion and dynamic topography.

eruption, magma storage had increased by 3.7– 5.2 ×1 0 7 m 3 or 85–100% of the 1997 eruption volume. We propose that the supply rate decreased in response to the diminishing pressure gradient between the shallow storage zone and a deeper magma source region. Eventuallytheeffectsofcontinuingmagmasupplyandvesiculationofstoredmagmacaused acriticalpressurethresholdtobeexceeded,triggeringthe2008eruption.Asimilarpatternof initially rapid inflation followed by oscillatory but generally slowing inflation was observed prior to the 1997 eruption. In both cases, withdrawal of magma during the eruptions depressurized the shallow storage zone, causing significant volcano‐wide subsidence and initiating a new intereruption deformation cycle.

[1] A hydrovolcanic eruption near Cone D on the floor of Okmok caldera, Alaska, began on 12 July 2008 and continued until late August 2008. The eruption was preceded by inflation of a magma reservoir located beneath the center of the caldera and ∼3 km below sea level (bsl), which began immediately after Okmok's previous eruption in 1997. In this paper we use data from several radar satellites and advanced interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) techniques to produce a suite of 2008 coeruption deformation maps. Most of the surface deformation that occurred during the eruption is explained by deflation of a Mogi-type source located beneath the center of the caldera and 2–3 km bsl, i.e., essentially the same source that inflated prior to the eruption. During the eruption the reservoir deflated at a rate that decreased exponentially with time with a 1/e time constant of ∼13 days. We envision a sponge-like network of interconnected fractures and melt bodies that in aggregate constitute a complex magma storage zone beneath Okmok caldera. The rate at which the reservoir deflates during an eruption may be controlled by the diminishing pressure difference between the reservoir and surface. A similar mechanism might explain the tendency for reservoir inflation to slow as an eruption approaches until the pressure difference between a deep magma production zone and the reservoir is great enough to drive an intrusion or eruption along the caldera ring-fracture system.

[1] The 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake (Mw 7.6) was the largest earthquake to strike Taiwan in the twentieth century. This earthquake is associated with a 100 km long surface rupture. In order to reveal the details of displacement near the surface rupture, we use a digital cadastral system to calculate coseismic displacement around the Tsaotung area, central Taiwan. The digital cadastral system was originally conceived to survey land and building boundaries. In the Tsaotung area, Taiwan authorities have taken digital cadastral measurements before and after the Chi-Chi earthquake. The cadastral system affords high-density control points that reach ∼1421 points/km2, a system denser than that of the GPS. Accuracy is to within ±11 cm, a level that is higher than spot imaging and one that allows us to study surface deformation in detail. Coseismic displacement is ∼4.3–4.6 m at distance from the surface rupture and decreases to 3–4 m near the surface rupture. The azimuth of horizontal displacements is ∼310°–315° and rotates to 280°–305° near the surface rupture. This produced a compression, left-lateral deformation zone with ∼10−3 compression strain near the surface rupture. Coseismic displacement of the footwall is 1–1.2 m in 110°, which is similar to that from using GPS data. In the Tsaotung thrust slice, we observed that the azimuth of horizontal displacement rotates from a NW trend to a south trend as a result of slip partitioning and gravity slide effect.

Geodetic observations of interseismic surface deformation in the vicinity of subduction zones are frequently interpreted using simple kinematic elastic dislocation models (EDM). In this theoretical study, we develop a kinematic EDM that simulates plate subduction over the interseismic period (the elastic subducting plate model (ESPM)) having only 2 more degrees of freedom than the well-established back slip model (BSM): an elastic plate thickness and the fraction of flexural stresses due to bending at the trench that are released continuously. Unlike the BSM, in which steady state deformation in both plates is assumed to be negligible, the ESPM includes deformation in the subducting and overriding plates (owing to plate thickness), while still preserving the correct sense of convergence velocity between the subducting and overriding plates, as well as zero net steady state vertical offset between the two plates when integrated over many seismic cycles. The ESPM links elastic plate flexure processes to interseismic deformation and helps clarify under what conditions the BSM is appropriate for fitting interseismic geodetic data at convergent margins. We show that the ESPM is identical to the BSM in the limiting case of zero plate thickness, thereby providing an alternative motivation for the BSM. The ESPM also provides a consistent convention for applying the BSM to any megathrust interface geometry. Even in the case of nonnegligible plate thickness, the deformation field predicted by the ESPM reduces to that of the BSM if stresses related to plate flexure at the trench are released either continuously and completely at shallow depths during the interseismic period or deep in the subduction zone (below ∼100 km). However, if at least a portion of these stresses are not continuously released in the shallow portion of the subduction zone (via seismic or aseismic events), then the predicted surface velocities of these two models can differ significantly at horizontal distances from the trench equivalent to a few times the effective interseismic locking depth.

[1] On 9 January 2008 a M 6.4 normal-faulting earthquake occurred in central Tibet, near the border of Nima and Gaize counties and just north of the Bangong-Nujiang suture zone. A week later, a M 5.9 aftershock occurred a few kilometers to the northwest of the main shock. Here we consider interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data from the Japanese ALOS and European Envisat satellites, covering both the coseismic phase and 9 months of postseismic deformation. The coseismic interferograms clearly show surface deformation resulting from both main shock and aftershock ruptures, and data inversions using elastic dislocation models suggest that two northwest dipping faults form a synthetic system, with the more steeply dipping aftershock plane meeting the main shock plane at depth. Postseismic interferograms show first-order similarities with their coseismic counterparts, indicating that afterslip occurred on both main shock and aftershock rupture surfaces during the months following the earthquakes. The afterslip occurred at comparable depths to the coseismic slip, but the amount of slip was about an order of magnitude smaller. A slip template method is used to obtain moment release estimates at different postseismic time intervals and hence document the time dependence of the postseismic transient. The exponential decay time of the afterslip is 34 days, and the moment release due to the afterslip was about 10% of the coseismic moment. Models of viscoelastic stress relaxation in a Maxwell half-space place a strong lower bound on midcrust to lower crustal viscosity of 3 × 1017 Pa s. Postseismic data covering a longer time span have the potential to improve this constraint.

[1] Seismic recordings are immediately available when an earthquake occurs. Their analysis allows the reconstruction of the rupture dynamics by means of sophisticated techniques, which usually need some tests to provide robust results. However, immediate information on the source kinematics is required in order to imagine the fault location and extent and quickly reconstruct the areas of stress release and subsequent accumulation. Very simple analysis may provide useful information, giving insight in source complexity. Right after the 6 April 2009 L'Aquila earthquake (MW = 6.3), we analyzed the seismograms recorded at broadband and strong motion stations and provided firm constraints on rupture kinematics, slip distribution, and static surface deformation, also discriminating the actual fault plane. The fracture occurred in two stages, with initial updip propagation, successively proceeding toward SE, possibly on a different plane. We also analyzed the strongest aftershock (MW = 5.6), showing that useful indications could be retrieved for lower magnitude events.