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Science 6 February 1998:
Vol. 279. no. 5352, pp. 839 - 842
DOI: 10.1126/science.279.5352.839
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Reports

Frictional Melting During the Rupture of the 1994 Bolivian Earthquake

Hiroo Kanamori, Don L. Anderson, Thomas H. Heaton

The source parameters of the 1994 Bolivian earthquake (magnitude Mw = 8.3) suggest that the maximum seismic efficiency eta  was 0.036 and the minimum frictional stress was 550 bars. Thus, the source process was dissipative, which is consistent with the observed slow rupture speed, only 20% of the local S-wave velocity. The amount of nonradiated energy produced during the Bolivian rupture was comparable to, or larger than, the thermal energy of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption and was sufficient to have melted a layer as thick as 31 centimeters. Once rupture was initiated, melting could occur, which reduces friction and promotes fault slip.

Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.

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