Fluid-driven seismicity in a stable tectonic context: The Remiremont fault zone, Vosges, France

Laurence Audin, Jean Philippe Avouac, Mireille Flouzat, Jean Louis Plantet

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Some relocated seismic events, which have small magnitudes (ML < 4.8), are found to align along a 40 km-long fault zone flanking the southern Vosges Massif to the west. It joins to the south with the epicentral area of the historical 1682 earthquake (Io = VIII MSK). The Remiremont cluster was preceded by a period of seismic coalescence and triggered outward of bilateral seismic migration. The 1984 seismic crisis developed along a well defined 3 km-long vertical plane. In both cases, migration rates of the order of 5-10 km/yr over 30 km-long distances are determined. This pattern requires some mechanism of stress interaction which must act over distances of the order of 1 to 20 km within years. Given the low tectonic activity and the magnitudes of the events the stress transfer cannot result from co-seismic elastic loading or from transient strain at depth. We suggest that the seismic activity reflect rupture of asperities driven by fluid-flow in a zone of relatively high permeability.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1091
JournalGeophysical Research Letters
Volume29
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 15 Mar 2002

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