The 2018 Mw 6.8 Zakynthos, Greece, Earthquake: Dominant Strike-Slip Faulting near Subducting Slab

• DOI: 10.1785/0220190169
• Publication Date: 2020-01-16T16:29:22Z
• Authors: Efthimios Sokos; František Gallovič; Christos P. Evang...; Anna Serpetsidaki; Vladimír Plicka; Jan Kostelecký; Jiří Zahradník
• Keywords: Slab; Seismometer; Thrust fault

Abstract With different styles of faulting, the eastern Ionian Sea is an ideal natural laboratory to investigate interactions between adjacent faults during strong earthquakes. The 2018 Mw 6.8 Zakynthos earthquake, well recorded by broadband and strong-motion networks, provides opportunity resolve such faulting complexity. Here, we focus on waveform inversion backprojection data, partly checked coseismic Global Navigation Satellite System data. We show that region under subhorizontal southwest–northeast compression, enabling mixed thrust strike-slip (SS) faulting. mainshock consisted two fault segments: a low-dip thrust, dominant, moderate-dip, right-lateral SS, both in crust. Slip vectors, oriented southwest, are consistent with plate motion. sequence can be explained terms trench-orthogonal fractures subducting reactivated upper plate. event, 6.6 event 1997, occurred near three localized swarms 2016 2017. Future numerical models slab deformation ocean-bottom seismometer observations may illuminate possible relations among earthquakes, swarms, fluid paths region.