Back Brecha sísmica Spanish פער סייסמי HE 地震空白域 Japanese 지진공백역 Korean Sismik boşluk Turkish 地震空区 Chinese
A seismic gap is a segment of an active fault known to produce significant earthquakes that has not slipped in an unusually long time, compared with other segments along the same structure. There is a hypothesis or theory that states that over long periods, the displacement on any segment must be equal to that experienced by all the other parts of the fault.[1] Any large and longstanding gap is, therefore, considered to be the fault segment most likely to suffer future earthquakes.
The applicability of this approach has been criticised by some seismologists,[2] although earthquakes sometimes have occurred in previously-identified seismic gaps.
- ^ McCann, W. R.; Nishenko, S. P.; Sykes, L. R.; Krause, J. (1979). "Seismic gaps and plate tectonics: Seismic potential for major boundaries". Pure and Applied Geophysics Pageoph. 117 (6): 1082–1147. Bibcode:1979PApGe.117.1082M. doi:10.1007/BF00876211. S2CID 129377355.
- ^ Kagan, Yan Y.; Jackson, David D. (1991). "Seismic Gap Hypothesis: Ten years after". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 96 (B13): 21419–21431. Bibcode:1991JGR....9621419K. doi:10.1029/91JB02210.