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Slow slip events and megathrust coupling changes reveal the earthquake potential before the 2020 Mw 7.4 Huatulco, Mexico event
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  • Carlos Villafuerte,
  • Víctor M. Cruz-Atienza,
  • Josué Tago,
  • Darío Solano-Rojas,
  • Sara Franco,
  • Ricardo Garza-Girón,
  • Luis Antonio Dominguez,
  • Vladimir Kostoglodov
Carlos Villafuerte
Posgrado en Ciencias de la Tierra, Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Posgrado en Ciencias de la Tierra, Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Posgrado en Ciencias de la Tierra, Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Víctor M. Cruz-Atienza
Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Josué Tago
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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Darío Solano-Rojas
Facultad de Ingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería
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Sara Franco
Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Ricardo Garza-Girón
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA., Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA., Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA., Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
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Luis Antonio Dominguez
Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Campus Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Campus Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Campus Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Campus Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
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Vladimir Kostoglodov
Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico., Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Abstract

The diversity of slip processes occurring in the megathrust indicates that stress is highly variable in space and time. Based on GNSS and InSAR data, we study in depth the evolution of the interplate slip-rate along the Oaxaca subduction zone, Mexico, from October 2016 through August 2020, including the pre-seismic, coseismic and post-seismic phases associated with the 2020 Mw 7.4 Huatulco earthquake, to understand how different slip processes contribute to the stress accumulation in the region. Our results show that continuous changes in both the aseismic stress-releasing slip and the coupling produced a high stress concentration over the main asperity of the Huatulco earthquake and a stress shadow zone in the adjacent updip region. These findings may explain both the downdip rupture propagation of the Huatulco earthquake and its rupture impediment to shallower, tsunamigenic interface regions, respectively. Time variations of the interplate coupling around the adjacent 1978 Puerto Escondido rupture zone clearly correlate with the occurrence of the last three Slow Slip Events (SSEs) in Oaxaca far downdip of this zone, suggesting that SSEs are systematically accompanied by interplate coupling counterparts in the shallower seismogenic zone. In the same period, the interface region of the 1978 event experienced a remarkably high CFS built-up, imparted by the co-seismic and early post-seismic slip of the Huatulco rupture, indicating large earthquake potential near Puerto Escondido. Continuous monitoring of the interplate slip-rate thus provides a better estimation of the stress accumulation in the seismogenic regions where future earthquakes are likely to occur.