title: Strength of stick-slip and creeping subduction megathrusts from heat flow observations.
abstract: Subduction faults, called megathrusts, can generate large and hazardous earthquakes. The mode of slip and seismicity of a megathrust is controlled by the structural complexity of the fault zone. However, the relative strength of a megathrust based on the mode of slip is far from clear. The fault strength affects surface heat flow by frictional heating during slip. We model heat-flow data for a number of subduction zones to determine the fault strength. We find that smooth megathrusts that produce great earthquakes tend to be weaker and therefore dissipate less heat than geometrically rough megathrusts that slip mainly by creeping.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Pacific Geoscience Centre, Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, 9860 West Saanich Road, Sidney, British Columbia, V8L 4B2, Canada. School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8P 5C2, Canada. kwang@nrcan.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Kelin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang