Researchers found that strong earthquakes at subduction interfaces may result from multiple ruptures in a multi-fault network.

Researchers from Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and partners have found that strong earthquakes at subduction interfaces may result from multiple ruptures in a multi-fault network, rather than a single rupture. They used a dense network of seismometers in Ecuador's subduction zone and AI to create a 3D model of seismic activity. This new understanding could improve forecasts of earthquake risks in subduction zones.