Creeping faults: Good news, bad news?

Abstract

The motion of the Earth's tectonic plates drive fault slip. Some faults slip in sudden movements, releasing great amounts of energy during large earthquake ruptures, while others slip in steadier movements which release energy more slowly. The latter, known as creeping faults, are believed to be less hazardous but there is mounting evidence that they are more complex than previously thought and can also pose a significant hazard. A recent review by Harris [2017] documents the earthquake potential of creeping faults in shallow continental fault zones from worldwide data. She presents a comprehensive review of prior studies; key insights into when, where, and why fault creep takes place and under which conditions creeping faults may represent high seismic hazard and suggests some directions for future research.