splay

Earth

Are splay faults the “gateways” that trigger great continental transform earthquakes?

Credit: CC0 Public Domain The five largest continental transform earthquakes since 2000 have all occurred on tributaries of the main fault, and the two researchers predict that the next big earthquake of this type will also occur on a tributary or branch fault. Last year’s magnitude 7.8 Pazarchik earthquake in Turkey was one of several large, damaging earthquakes caused by…