EAPS Geophysics Seminar (12.571) – Louise Maubant (MIT)

Title: The Critical Role of InSAR in Mapping Subduction Zone Dynamics: Insights into Interseismic Coupling and Fault Slip Rates

Abstract: Since 2010, the quality and quantity of data from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), especially with the launch of Sentinel-1 satellites in 2014, has greatly improved. This technology allows us to track surface displacements with a temporal resolution of 6 to 12 days. In this seminar, I will show how InSAR data is a valuable tool for studying deformations associated with the seismic cycle along subduction zones. I will present two case studies to show how using InSAR can help us capture the spatial deformation related to different phases of the seismic cycle in more detail. In this talk, I will present the case of the slow slip events of Guerrero (Mexico), 2017-2018, and the strong interaction with the major earthquakes in the same region. I will then present the case of the coupling plate along the Hikurangi subduction zone (New Zealand). The coupling at the interface between tectonic plates is a critical geophysical parameter to capture the frictional locking across plate boundaries. It provides a means to estimate where tectonic strain is accumulating through time. By combining InSAR data with GNSS station data, we can gain a better understanding of what is happening along these subduction zones during the loading phase. In New Zealand, integrating InSAR data significantly improved the accuracy of our results in estimating plate coupling, even in regions with a dense GNSS network.

About this series: The EAPS Geophysics Seminar is a class for EAPS geophysics graduate students with a guest speaker approximately every two weeks. All members of the MIT community are welcome to attend the guest talks which are generally on Tuesdays at 10am in 54-209 and on Zoom. Titles and abstracts will be posted here when available. Contact Josh at jkastorf@mit.edu with any questions.