Structure and Local Seismicity From the Incoming Nazca Plate in the Southern Chile Subduction Zone

Lithospheric deformation near the Chile Triple Junction is under investigation in the TIPTEQ (from The Incoming Plate to mega-Thrust EarthQuake processes) project. During R/V Sonne cruise SO181 (December 2004 to February 2005) various geophysical and geological data sets along several large transects across differently aged subducting oceanic lithosphere were acquired. TIPTEQ aims at studying the influence of the incoming plate on the seismogenic zone in the area of the 1960 great Chile earthquake (Mw=9.5), in particular the effects of the thermal regime (i.e., age).We compare structure and local seismicity on two of these transects, one where the incoming oceanic Nazca Plate was formed 6.5 Ma ago, the other 14.5 Ma in age at the trench, thus both of different thermal states. New magnetic data show that the older lithosphere was generated at a spreading rate of 40 mm/a compared to 25 mm/a for the younger one, yet the current convergence of both sections with the South American Plate is about the same (~80 mm/a). Bathymetric and vertical incidence seismic data show smooth and thicker sediments at the older transect whereas the rugged basement of the younger line is less covered, though the sedimentary thickness at the trench is ~2 km in both locations. The crust of the older transect is slightly thicker, shows a clear outer rise, and subducts at a slightly steeper angle than the younger line. On the latter, where the outer rise bulge has not yet been developed, the outer rise seismicity rate is higher and more concentrated in the crust. The local seismicity in the older region is less frequent and occurs predominantly in the upper mantle (see also Tilmann et al., this conference).