Near-Field Deformation from the El Mayor–Cucapah Earthquake Revealed by Differential LIDAR

Abstract

Earthquakes from Above Preparing for risks and hazards associated with large earthquakes requires detailed understanding of their mechanical properties. In addition to pinpointing the location and magnitude of earthquakes, postmortem analyses of the extent of rupture and amount of deformation are key quantities, but are not simply available from seismological data alone. Using a type of optical remote sensing, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), Oskin et al. (p. 702 ) surveyed the surrounding area that ruptured during the 2010 M w 7.2 El Mayor–Cucapah earthquake in Northern Mexico. Because this area had also been analyzed in 2006, a comparative analysis revealed slip rate and strain release on the shallow fault zone and a number of previously unknown faults. As remote imaging becomes cheaper and more common, differential analyses will continue to provide fault-related deformation data that complements modern seismological networks.