Fiber-imaged supershear dynamics in the 2024 Mw 7 Mendocino Fault earthquake

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Atterholt, James; McGuire, Jeffrey J.; Barbour, Andrew J.; Stewart, Connie; Moschetti, Morgan P.
• 署名单位: United States Department of the Interior; United States Geological Survey; United States Department of the Interior; United States Geological Survey; United States Department of the Interior; United States Geological Survey; California State University System; California State Polytechnic University Pomona
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-9906
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adx6858
• 发表日期: 2025-09-25
• 页码: 1361-1365
• 关键词: rupture; performance; california; subduction; magnitude

摘要

Fault structure and rupture physics are deeply intertwined, and observations of this coupling are critical for understanding earthquake behavior. Rupture propagation is observable at fine scales using dense seismic networks. Fiber-optic sensing allows for long-term deployments of ultradense arrays that enable high-resolution measurements of infrequent, large earthquakes. We recorded the 2024 moment magnitude (Mw) 7 Mendocino Fault earthquake with a nearby fiber-optic array and imaged its behavior with seismic beamforming. The rupture propagated to the east at subshear velocity; stagnated near the Mendocino Triple Junction, a zone of structural complexity; and subsequently transitioned to supershear velocity. The correlation between source physics and structure shows how lithospheric heterogeneity affects first-order characteristics of earthquake ruptures. Our results also demonstrate the potential for fiber-optic sensing to improve real-time estimation of key parameters for early warning.