In a recently published open access paper in TECTONICS, Zebari et al. report for the first time fault slip rates from Iraqi Kurdistan in the NW Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt. This area is challenging when it comes to narrowing down the distribution of S-N shortening and the associated fault slip rates, because in general, faults don’t reach the surface there. For this reason, we used a proxy: we dated uplifted river terraces with stimulated luminescence and used kinematic modelling of the Zagros fold belt. With this approach we can show that slip rate of the Mountain Front Fault is about 1.5 mm/a. Detachment folds take up another ~1.6 mm/a.

Bad news – the PATA Days in Chile are cancelled. The ongoing Corona crisis does not allow for proper planning and many restrictions are still in place. Visitors to Chile might need to quarantine, air travel might be restricted, and it is not clear when larger gatherings will become possible again. Postponing the PATA Days is not an option, because the preparations for PATA2022 in France are already making progress (update soon!). A huge thanks to the organisers for trying so hard and for all the work they have put into the organisation so far! Great job, team Chile! We hope that one day we can all enjoy your hospitality and the wonderful geology. This is perhaps a good time to watch again the virtual PATA2020 short meeting. Here is the official announcement of the organisers:

Today’s paper list contains a lot of interesting studies on Asian tectonics, a few articles on the Ridgecrest Earthquake, and a number of papers that I was involved in (sorry for the shameless self-promotion). Enjoy reading and let me know if I have missed something.
UPDATE 2021-08-03: Yes, I missed something. I added the last three papers by Rimando & Peace, Kempf & Moernaut, Amey et al., DePaolis et al., & Wils et al.

A recent study investigated seismogenic mass failure deposits that were preserved in a 457-m deep ICDP drilling (220-0 ka) from the Dead Sea depocenter. The study conducted a critical assessment and testing of the links between the occurrence of seismogenic mass failure, changes in water-level, and sedimentation rate driven by a changing climate.

1. Key Points:
• At the orbital- and millennial-scale, variable sedimentation rates are not a preconditioning factor for earthquake-triggered mass failures
• At the centennial- to decadal-scale, earthquake-triggered mass failures are not statistically correlated with lake-level state
• At the orbital- and millennial-scale, the mass failures are more frequent during lake-level high-stands with large-amplitude fluctuations

The Bolivian Amazon is a vast plain with almost zero topography. It hosts a huge and dynamic river system on the east side of the Andes. So far, little was known about the active tectonics of the area. In a new paper, Umberto Lombardo and I show that there are active faults parallel to the Andes, and also perpendicular to the mountain front. We used the TanDEM-X DEM and geomorphological analyses of the fluvial system to investigate the faults and their impact on river dynamics. We show that in such a low-relief setting, dip-slip earthquakes can catastrophically change river courses. If you don’t have the time to read the full paper, here’s a short summary.

Interested in the active tectonics of the Bolivian Amazon? In remote sensing of surface ruptures? In tsunami deposits & turbidites? In archaeoseismology & creeping faults? Then check out the latest papers and find new studies on these topics and much more!

The Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana has published a Special Issue “From the active fault to the seismic hazard in Latin America and the Caribbean“, edited by Laura Perucca and Franck Audemard. The issue includes studies on paleoseismology, earthquake geology, geophysics on active faults, geodesy, landscape evolution, and much more from all across S America and the Caribbean. All articles are open access! Check it out here: http://boletinsgm.igeolcu.unam.mx/bsgm/index.php/siguiente-numero-next-issue

This is an interesting topical session at the GSA 2021 meeting:

‘T11. Recent to Long-Term Slip Histories of Active Faults and Folds in Cascadia’  

at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America. We hope to attract a diverse array of talks that explore the faults and folds in the upper plate of the Cascadia subduction zone that are both active and have protracted histories of fault slip. We welcome submissions summarizing recent tectonic geomorphologic, paleoseismologic, geodetic, seismic reflection, and other data that characterize deformation of Quaternary-active structures and seek contributions from geologic, geophysical, and related research that examines the longer-term history of active faults. We particularly invite studies in the forearc, arc, and backarc of Cascadia that bridge the gap between Quaternary evidence of fault activity with longer records of fault slip that may address the consistency of slip rates over time and the timing of fault/fold initiation. 

Better late than never – here are the latest papers! Enjoy reading and let me know if I have missed anything.

Here we go with a brand new list of papers that deal with past and recent large earthquakes, with tsunamis, and with active tectonics studies. A huge fraction of studies is on (Central) Asia this time. Enjoy reading & stay safe!