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Subduction-zone earthquake complexity related to frictional anisotropy in antigorite

Nature Geoscience volume 6, pages 847–851 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Earthquakes generated in subduction zones are caused by unstable movements along faults. This fault-slip instability is determined by frictional forces that depend on the temperature, pressure, morphology and deformation state of the fault rocks. Fault friction may also be influenced by preferred mineral orientations. Over-thrusting of rocks at the interface between a subducting slab and the overlying mantle wedge generates shear deformation that causes minerals to align1,2,3, and this preferred mineral orientation affects the propagation of shear seismic waves4,5,6. Here we use laboratory experiments to simulate fault slip in antigorite, the most abundant hydrous mineral phase within Earth’s upper mantle7. Using atomic force microscopy, we show that antigorite single crystals possess strong frictional anisotropy on their basal slip surface and that preferred mineral alignment extends this property to a regional scale. Depending on the alignment, fault movements can occur along a high-friction direction, creating stick-slip behaviour that generates earthquakes. In contrast, if movements occur along a low-friction direction, the mantle wedge will deform aseismically. Our results imply that mantle rocks in subduction-zone thrust faults can exhibit two opposite frictional behaviours, seismic and aseismic.

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Figure 1: General scheme of plate motions in an oblique subduction zone.
Figure 2: Nanotribological characterization of antigorite(001).
Figure 3: Frictional anisotropy of antigorite crystals.
Figure 4: Modelling of frictional anisotropy between the upper mantle and the subducting slab at thrust faults.

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Acknowledgements

The microscopic characterization was performed at the Atomic Force Microscopy Laboratory of the Department of Materials Science, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, thanks to the support of A. Sassella. We thank N. Malaspina for discussions and comments that improved this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Milano I-20126, Italy

    Marcello Campione & Gian Carlo Capitani

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  1. Marcello Campione
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  2. Gian Carlo Capitani
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Contributions

M.C. performed the nanotribological analysis and developed the geophysical model, G.C.C. prepared natural samples and performed structural analysis. Both authors discussed the results and implications.

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Correspondence to Marcello Campione.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Campione, M., Capitani, G. Subduction-zone earthquake complexity related to frictional anisotropy in antigorite. Nature Geosci 6, 847–851 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1905

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