Bending-related faulting of the incoming oceanic plate and its effect on lithospheric hydration and seismicity: A passive and active seismological study offshore Maule, Chile

The first weeks following the megatrust Mw = 8.8 Maule earthquake in 2010 were characterized by a sudden increase of the outer rise seismic activity, located between 34° S and 35°30′ S. We concluded that this phenomenon is a result of an intensification of the water infiltration process in the outer rise, presumably triggered by the main shock, whose epicenter was located some 100 km to the south east of the cluster.