It’s a mystery of earthquakes that takes a deadly toll on humans: faults buried several miles deep in Earth’s crust breed more damaging earthquakes than their surface counterparts. Over the years, unusually powerful shaking born from these “blind” faults has brought cities from California to Japan to their knees, without explanation. Until now.
Blind faults reside in rock layers perfectly suited to violent rupture, according to a new study. And when they strike, they focus explosions of energy toward the surface, jarring the nearby vicinity with a violence that can belie their modest size.
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