Investigating Seismic Deformation Associated with the Aging and Subduction of Oceanic Lithosphere Using Teleseismic Earthquake Relocation and InSAR Techniques

Based on seismicity and deformation patterns, the evolution and subduction of oceanic lithosphere can be divided into three domains: 1) the incoming oceanic lithosphere plate, 2) the megathrust plate boundary, and 3) the down-going slab. Well-located hypocenters illuminate fault complexity in space and time and verify details of surface deformation within or associated with the subduction system. This dissertation presents high-resolution earthquake catalogs derived using teleseismic double-difference (DD) relocation to best resolve earthquakes in absolute space, while providing relative locations for more detail fault studies. In the Wharton Basin, a new earthquake catalog allows more detailed examination of complex oceanic intraplate faulting and slip processes within un-subducted lithosphere (Domain 1). A revised earthquake catalog and associated 3D velocity model for the Ecuador subduction zone is paired with satellite surface deformation measurements to provide detailed information on rupture on the subduction megathrust (Domain 2) over the seismic cycle. Deeper, the Ecuador catalog provides insight into intraplate earthquake generation at intermediate depths (Domain 3)