Collaborative Research: The Peru Subduction Experiment (PeruSE), a Seismic Investigation of the Role of Water in the Lithospheric Dynamics of Subduction Zones

正如印度尼西亚、中国、海地和智利最近的地震历史所表明的那样，俯冲带会产生最大的地震。 地震发生在岩石易碎且应力高到足以克服摩擦的地方。 摩擦力取决于岩石的性质和含水量，以及水是否自由地施加孔隙压力，或者在变质岩中结晶束缚。 释放的水会引起爆炸性火山活动。了解力和地震机制对于估计危险非常重要。特别是，我们寻求利用地震和跨学科数据来了解秘鲁俯冲带脱水是如何发生的，及其对摩擦、流变和火山活动的影响。 这项工作对于估计该地区主要城市的地震和火山灾害以及了解过去的构造以及导致大陆构造结构和矿化的过程都很重要。秘鲁是研究水、地震、地震耦合和火山作用之间关系的绝佳地点。 特别是在秘鲁南部，板块倾斜度陡峭，其上方有火山，板块深度约 100 公里。 相比之下，再往北，板片倾角较浅，没有火山，但深层地震发生在深度约 600 公里的地方，是世界上最深的地震之一。地震阵列深探是推断地球深处特性的主要方法。目标是研究地壳和地幔性质的对比，以及从非火山平板俯冲到火山陡板俯冲过渡期间地震活动的对比，并推断水的路径。 水对摩擦力、地震速度、Q、变质变化、融化和地震的产生有重大影响。地震层析成像和地震活动将用于以 3D 形式绘制这些影响。 我们的地震台阵实验涉及秘鲁的一个宽带网络，该网络由 4 个线性网络组成。 1 号线共有 50 个车站，从阿雷基帕附近的海岸穿过陡峭的石板到达的喀喀湖。 3 号线与 3 号线平行，但在平板区域上方穿过库斯科进一步向北延伸。 2号线和4号线分别是沿安第斯山脉和海岸的连接线。 4 条线路形成一个由 125 个车站组成的箱形网络，横跨过渡站。 每条线由 25 至 50 个间隔 6 至 12 公里的宽带地震台组成，并将记录一到两年，以对该地区的结构和地震活动提供前所未有的覆盖。 我们想回答有关俯冲机制和矿化的基本问题。我们的实验涉及许多秘鲁人，包括大学和研究所的专业人士以及我们站的普通民众。 秘鲁受到大地震的威胁，例如最近发生的 2007 年皮斯科毁灭性地震和 2001 年发生的事件。海啸也是一种威胁。当地居民受教育程度越高，准备就越充分。我们将通过 IRIS 将数据提供给社区。该项目由国际科学与工程办公室的地球物理计划和美洲计划资助。

As the recent history of earthquakes in Indonesia, China, Haiti and Chile has demonstrated, subduction zones generate the largest earthquakes. Earthquakes occur where the rock is brittle and stresses are high enough to overcome friction. The friction depends on the properties of the rock and water content, and whether the water is free to exert pore pressure, or is crystallographically bound in metamorphic rocks. Released water causes explosive volcanism. Understanding the forces and earthquake mechanisms is important for estimating hazard. In particular, we seek to use seismic and interdisciplinary data to understand how dehydration takes place in the Peru subduction zone, its effect on friction, rheology and volcanism. The work is important both to estimate the earthquake and volcanic hazard of major cities in the region as well as understanding past tectonics, and the processes that led to the tectonic structure and the mineralization of continents.Peru is an excellent place to study the relationship between the pathways of water, earthquakes, seismic coupling and volcanism. In particular, in southern Peru the slab has a steep dip and volcanoes occur above it where the slab reaches depths of about 100 km. In contrast, further north the slab dip is shallow and there are no volcanoes, but deep earthquakes occur at depths of ~600 km, some of the deepest in the world. Seismic array deep-sounding is the premier method to infer properties deep in the Earth. The goals are to investigate the contrasts in the properties of the crust and mantle, and contrasts in earthquake activity across the transition from non-volcanic flat-slab to volcanic steep-slab subduction and to infer the water pathways. Water has a major effect on friction, seismic velocities, Q, metamorphic changes, melting, and the generation of earthquakes. Seismic tomography and seismicity will be used to map these effects in 3D. Our seismic array experiment involves a broadband network in Peru comprised of 4 linear networks. Line 1 consists if 50 stations that run from the coast near Arequipa to Lake Titicaca across the steep slab. Line 3 is parallel but runs further north through Cusco above the flat-slab region. Lines 2 and 4 are connecting lines along the Andes and the coast respectively. The four lines form a box-shaped network of 125 stations spanning the transition. Each line is comprised of twenty five to fifty broadband seismic stations at 6-12 km spacing and will record for one to two years to give an unprecedented coverage of the structures and seismicity of the region. We would like to answer fundamental questions on the mechanics and mineralization of subduction.Our experiment involves many Peruvians both professionally in universities and institutes and the general population who host our stations. Peru is threatened by large earthquakes, such as the recent Pisco 2007 devastating earthquake and the 2001 event demonstrated. Tsunamis are also a threat. The more educated are the local population the better prepared. We will make the data available to the community through IRIS.This project is funded by the Geophysics Program and the Americas Program of the Office of International Science and Engineering.