Results for aseismic creep on the Hayward fault using polarization persistent scatterer InSAR

We present new results for shallow aseismic creep on the Hayward fault in California using a new DInSAR technique. This method not only provides, for the first time, the ability to map the displacement field on both sides of the fault, it does so over a much shorter time period than earlier results. The results provide a good match in the near-field to both the regional continuous GPS velocities and data from an alinement network that measures long-term creep along the fault. The average slip rate for the northern segment of the Hayward fault is ∼4.4 mm/yr between 2008 and 2011, slightly less than that estimated for longer time periods, suggesting that the slip rate may not be constant. If the slip rate along the fault is variable on the decadal or longer scale, current estimates of its earthquake potential and the associated hazard associated with the slip rate deficit may need to be revised from previous estimates. We demonstrate the potential impact of this method to better define the spatial and temporal complexity of aseismic slip and estimate the accumulated elastic strain along one of the most significant sources of seismic hazard in the San Francisco Bay area.

► We present new results for time variable shallow creep on the Hayward fault in California. ► We present a new, PolInSAR technique with better resolution over short time periods. ► The aseismic slip rate in northern California demonstrates significant variation in time.