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Exact interaction mechanism between deep Kaimanawa and shallow East Coast slip patches

Determine the precise interaction mechanism between the deep Kaimanawa slow-slip patch and the shallow East Coast slow-slip patch in the Hikurangi subduction zone, including how slip events in one patch influence the other through geomechanical coupling.

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Background

The paper models two identified SSE patches (deep Kaimanawa and shallow East Coast) as coupled oscillators and explores one-way coupling as a conceptual proxy for interactions. While interactions between deep and shallow seismicity have been observed in subduction environments, the detailed mechanism linking these specific patches is not established.

The authors explicitly state that the exact interaction is an open problem, highlighting the need to characterize the coupling pathway and strength that transmit forces or perturbations between depth levels in the Hikurangi system.

References

Their exact interaction remains an open problem but interactions between the deep and shallow part of a slab have been observed in subduction environments (Gardonio et al., 2024), with synchronisation between shallow and deep seismic activities (Bouchon et al., 2022; Jara et al., 2017) pointing to the role of rigidity (Sallarès & Ranero, 2019).

— Chaotic Slow Slip Events in New Zealand from two coupled slip patches: a proof of concept (2411.01688 - Poulet et al., 3 Nov 2024) in Section 2.2 (New Zealand: Two Coupled Oscillators)