Correlation between Coulomb Stress Changes Imparted by Historic Earthquakes and Current Seismicity in Charlevoix Seismic Zone, Eastern Canada

Research Article| December 10, 2014 Correlation between Coulomb Stress Changes Imparted by Historic Earthquakes and Current Seismicity in Charlevoix Seismic Zone, Eastern Canada Azadeh Fereidoni; Azadeh Fereidoni Department of Earth Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7gmatkinson@aol.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Gail M. Atkinson Gail M. Atkinson Department of Earth Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7gmatkinson@aol.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Azadeh Fereidoni Department of Earth Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7gmatkinson@aol.com Gail M. Atkinson Department of Earth Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7gmatkinson@aol.com Publisher: Seismological Society of America First Online: 14 Jul 2017 Online ISSN: 1938-2057 Print ISSN: 0895-0695 © 2015 by the Seismological Society of America Seismological Research Letters (2015) 86 (1): 272–284. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220140134 Article history First Online: 14 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Azadeh Fereidoni, Gail M. Atkinson; Correlation between Coulomb Stress Changes Imparted by Historic Earthquakes and Current Seismicity in Charlevoix Seismic Zone, Eastern Canada. Seismological Research Letters 2014;; 86 (1): 272–284. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0220140134 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietySeismological Research Letters Search Advanced Search ABSTRACT The Charlevoix seismic zone (CSZ) is the most seismically active region in eastern Canada and has experienced several large historic events, such as the 1663 M 7 event (in which M is moment magnitude), as well as ongoing low‐level activity. Recent statistical studies (Fereidoni and Atkinson, 2012, 2014) suggest the contemporary seismicity in Charlevoix cannot be reconciled as part of a long aftershock sequence from the 1663 event. However, this does not eliminate the possibility that current seismicity in Charlevoix might still be influenced by stress changes related to the 1663 event. In this article, we investigate the correlation between the location of contemporary seismicity in the region and the static stress changes imparted by the 1663 earthquake. We model the 1663 earthquake as a primarily thrust event on a southeast‐dipping fault, which would have produced regions of increased stress that coincide with areas where current microseismicity is concentrated. With our assumed rupture model, we find that ∼75%–80% of the current seismicity (from 1978 to the present) is located in the area of positive Coulomb stress changes. The relatively good correlation between the models of static stress changes and the seismicity pattern observed in Charlevoix may suggest the background seismic activity in the region is still influenced by the stress perturbations due to the 1663 shock. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.