Postseismic relaxation and transient creep

Abstract

Postseismic deformation has been observed in the epicentral area following the 1992 Landers (M = 7.3), 1999 Chi-Chi (M = 7.6), 1999 Hector Mine (M = 7.1), 2002 Denali (M = 7.9), 2003 San Simeon (M = 6.5), and 2004 Parkfield (M = 6.0) earthquakes. The observations consist of repeated GPS measurements of the position of one monument relative to another (separation ∼100 km). The early observations (t < 0.1 year) are well fit by the function a' + c'log(t), where t is the time after the earthquake and a' and c' are constants chosen to fit the data. Because a log(t) time dependence is characteristic of transient (primary) creep, the early postseismic response may be governed by transient creep as Benioff proposed in 1951. That inference is provisional as the stress conditions prevailing in postseismic relaxation are not identical to the constant stress condition in creep experiments. The observed logarithmic time dependence includes no characteristic time that might aid in identifying the micromechanical cause.