Abstract
Rates of fault slip calculated from the seismicity of the world's chief seismic regions agree well with the predictions of “rigid plate tectonics”. Global fault activity seems to have decreased fivefold in the past seventy years, indicating that earthquakes are coupled on a global scale within decades. This article also discusses the possible recurrence of a period of high activity.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
We are sorry, but there is no personal subscription option available for your country.
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brune, J. N., J. Geophys. Res., 73, 777 (1968).
Morgan, W. J., J. Geophys. Res., 73, 1959 (1968).
McKenzie, D. P., and Parker, R. L., Nature, 216, 1276 (1967).
Sykes, L. R., J. Geophys. Res., 72, 2131 (1967).
Stauder, W., J. Geophys. Res., 73, 3847 (1968).
Le Pichon, X., J. Geophys. Res., 73, 3661 (1968).
Menard, H. W., and Atwater, T., Nature, 219, 463 (1968).
Molnar, P., and Sykes, L. R., Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., 80, 1639 (1969).
McKenzie, D. P., Nature, 226, 239 (1970).
Nowroozi, A. A., Trans. Amer. Geophys. Un., 51, 420 (1970).
Isacks, B., Oliver, J., and Sykes, L. R., J. Geophys. Res., 73, 5855 (1968).
Benioff, H., Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., 62, 331 (1951).
Gutenberg, B., Trans. Amer. Geophys. Un., 37, 608 (1956).
Duda, S. J., Tectonophys., 2, 409 (1965).
Tsuboi, C., J. Phys. Earth, 4, 63 (1956).
Bath, M., and Duda, S. J., Ann. Geofis. Rome, 17, 353 (1964).
Tocher, D., Bull. Seismol. Soc. Amer., 48, 147 (1958).
Iida, K., J. Earth Sci., Nagoya Univ., 13, 115 (1965).
Richter, C. F., Elementary Seismology (W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, 1958).
King, C. Y., and Knopoff, L., Bull. Seismol. Soc. Amer., 58, 249 (1968).
Brune, J. N., and King, C. Y., Bull. Seismol. Soc. Amer., 57, 1355 (1967).
Brune, J. N., and Engen, G. R., Bull. Seismol. Soc. Amer., 59, 923 (1969).
Wyss, M., and Brune, J. N., J. Geophys. Res., 73, 4681 (1968).
Gutenberg, B., and Richter, C. F., Seismicity of the Earth (second ed.) (Princeton Univ. Press, 1954).
Kanamori, H., and Press, F., Nature, 226, 330 (1970).
Benioff, H., Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., 65, 385 (1954).
Sykes, L. R., J. Geophys. Res., 71, 2981 (1966).
Malahoff, A., J. Geophys. Res., 75, 1992 (1970).
Ben-Menahem, A., and Harkrider, D. G., J. Geophys. Res., 69, 2605 (1964).
Plafker, G., and Savage, J. C., Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., 81, 1001 (1970).
Savage, J. C., and Hastie, L. M., J. Geophys. Res., 71, 4897 (1966).
Whitten, C. A., Calif. Div. Mines Bull, 171, 75 (1955). Trans. Amer. Geophys. Un., 37, 393 (1956). Scholz, C., Wyss, M., and Smith, S. W., J. Geophys. Res., 74, 2049 (1969).
Larson, R. L., and Chase, C. G., Earth Plan. Sci. Lett., 7, 425 (1970).
Morgan, W. J., Vogt, P. R., and Falls, D. F., Nature, 222, 137 (1969).
Barazangi, M., and Dorman, J., Bull. Seismol. Soc. Amer., 59, 369 (1969).
Isacks, B., Sykes, L. R., and Oliver, J., Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., 80, 1443 (1969).
Denham, D., J. Geophys. Res., 74, 2490 (1969).
Fitch, T. J., and Molnar, P., J. Geophys. Res., 75, 1431 (1970).
Katsumata, M., and Sykes, L. R., J. Geophys. Res., 74, 5923 (1969).
Mogi, K., Bull. Earthquake Res. Inst., Tokyo Univ., 46, 175 (1968).
Florensov, N. A., Tectonophys., 8, 443 (1969).
Wyss, M., J. Geophys. Res., 75, 1529 (1970).
Mei, Shi-Yun, Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Geofiz., 381 (English trans., p. 254) (1960).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
DAVIES, G., BRUNE, J. Regional and Global Fault Slip Rates from Seismicity. Nature Physical Science 229, 101–107 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/physci229101a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/physci229101a0
This article is cited by
-
Building the Himalaya from tectonic to earthquake scales
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment (2021)
-
Coupling of tectonic loading and earthquake fault slips at subduction zones
Pure and Applied Geophysics PAGEOPH (1995)
-
Determination of total strain from faulting using slip measurements
Nature (1990)
-
Earthquake magnitude or seismic moment in seismic hazard evaluation?
Pure and Applied Geophysics PAGEOPH (1988)
-
Upper limit to earthquake size
Nature (1976)