August 5, 2021 - Jessica M Warren
Article published on oceanic transform faults
An article on the role of seawater infiltration for oceanic transform fault seismicity has been published in the latest issue of Nature Geoscience. Oceanic transform faults are a major category of plate-bounding faults that cross-cut the mid-ocean ridge system. This study by Arjun Kohli, Monica Wolfson-Schwehr, Cecile Prigent, and Jessica Warren incorporates seawater hydration into calculations of the brittle and ductile rheologies of the plate interface. The article shows how observations of rocks from these faults indicate that their strength is reduced by the circulation of seawater in the fault, which in turn controls the depth of seismicity.
The UDaily Q&A about the article can be accessed here.
Kohli, A.H., M. Wolfson-Schwehr, C. Prigent, and J.M. Warren, 2021. Oceanic transform fault seismicity and slip mode influenced by seawater infiltration, Nature Geoscience, 14, 606-611, doi:10.1038/s41561-021-00778-1.