The study, published on the Science Alert website, showed that these faults, known as “oceanic transform faults,” are surrounded by buffer zones that act as “natural brakes” that curb seismic activity.
This mechanism relies on a geological process known as “stretching.” Where rocks crack and expand when tremors occur; This allows seawater to seep deep into the gaps, which creates pressure changes that lead to “locking” the rocks and preventing them from sliding freely, thus stopping the growth of the earthquake and preventing it from turning into a larger destructive disaster.
In their study, the researchers relied on data collected from two sectors along the Govar Fault, a groove extending under the waters of the Pacific Ocean that represents the border between the Pacific and Nazca plates.
These plates move at a rate of 140 millimeters per year. Which generates a regular earthquake of magnitude 6 on the Richter scale every five or six years since data recording began in 1995.
To accurately monitor this movement, scientists placed seismometers directly on the ocean floor during two separate experiments in 2008 and between 2019-2022.
The devices monitored tens of thousands of small tremors that precede major earthquakes, and showed that buffer zones are not just fixed geographical features, but rather complex and dynamic networks of small faults that absorb shocks and actively interact with the movement of water.
The researchers pointed out that understanding the mechanics of these expected faults, although they do not pose a direct threat to residential areas due to their remote location, will contribute greatly to updating digital models and developing systems for predicting the most dangerous and destructive earthquakes on land. (Erm News)
