Fault slip during 2010 M7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake in Mexico

What is it about?

We used data from radar satellites (ESA Envisat and JAXA ALOS) and GPS measurements to determine the set of faults that ruptured in the 2010 M7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake in northern Mexico. The fault ruptures extent about 120 km (72 miles) through part of the Mexicali Valley and Cucapah mountains of Baja California and Sonora, ending just south of the border with California. A complicated set of faults ruptured, including faults that were not previously mapped in the Mexicali Valley.

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Why is it important?

Understanding which faults moved during the 2010 M7.2 earthquake will help evaluate the risk of future earthquakes in the area. The measurements of the slip on the faults can be used to calculate the stress change on other faults nearby and on the rocks below.