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Science 24 May 1985:
Vol. 228. no. 4702, pp. 984 - 987
DOI: 10.1126/science.228.4702.984
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Articles

Role of Fault Bends in the Initiation and Termination of Earthquake Rupture

GEOFFREY KING 1 and JOHN NÁBEcaronLEK 2

1 Department of Earth Sciences, Bullard Laboratories, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB3 OEZ, England
2 Earth Resources Laboratory, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139

Rupture in individual earthquakes apparently is limited to regions between bends in faults. This is illustrated for eight events that have occurred since 1966. A model based on geometric concepts describes why this is so and clarifies earlier ideas of "asperities" and "barriers" used to explain earthquake initiation and termination processes. Because of their importance in the rupture process, bend zones should be monitored for precursory effects.

Submitted on September 21, 1984
Accepted on January 30, 1985


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