The 2023 Mw 6.8 Al Haouz earthquake struck Morocco’s Atlas Mountains on September 8, causing over 3000 fatalities and extensive damage, revealing hidden seismic hazards in this slowly deforming region. Despite its impact, Al Haouz earthquake has received limited scientific investigation. The absence of surface rupture, its occurrence in an intraplate seismic silence zone, and ambiguous focal mechanisms have hindered understanding of the fault’s kinematics. To address these gaps, our study employs the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technique to refine the coseismic deformation. We further propose two fault-dipping scenarios, northward and southward, reinforced by a unique local seismic dataset to evaluate the fault rupture characterization. Additionally, stress change analysis assessed the stress transfer effects between the mainshock and aftershocks, culminating in a comprehensive geodynamic model. Our findings reveal a northward-dipping reverse fault with a strike of 249.8∘, a dip of 66°, and a rake of 55°, exhibiting a maximum slip of 1.75 m. Stress change analysis demonstrates that stress transfer from the mainshock reactivated pre-existing faults, particularly the Tizi n’Test fault system, triggering shallow aftershocks in high-stress zones. We suggest that mantle upwelling, coupled with fluid injection along pre-existing faults, drives seismic dynamics in the region. The Tizi n’Test fault likely extends to the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary, where active upwelling facilitates magma fluid intrusion, stimulating seismic activity. These findings are consistent with recent research, providing deeper insights into fault mechanics in the Atlas Mountains. They also highlight the significant contribution of satellite-based SAR techniques in uncovering hidden seismic hazards.

中文翻译：

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揭开 2023 年 Al Haouz 地震的隐藏秘密：Coseismic 模型揭示了源自 SAR 和地震数据的摩洛哥板块内反向断层


2023 年 9 月 8 日，摩洛哥阿特拉斯山脉发生 Mw 6.8 Al Haouz 地震，造成 3000 多人死亡和大面积破坏，揭示了这个缓慢变形地区隐藏的地震危害。尽管影响深远，但 Al Haouz 地震的科学调查有限。没有表面破裂，它发生在板内地震静默区，以及模糊的震源机制，阻碍了对断层运动学的理解。为了解决这些差距，我们的研究采用了干涉合成孔径雷达 （InSAR） 技术来细化同震变形。我们进一步提出了两种断层倾角情景，即北向和南向，并通过独特的局部地震数据集进行强化，以评估断层破裂的特征。此外，应力变化分析评估了主震和余震之间的应力传递效应，最终形成了一个全面的地球动力学模型。我们的研究结果揭示了一个向北倾斜的反向断层，走向为 249.8∘，倾角为 66°，前倾为 55°，最大滑移为 1.75 m。应力变化分析表明，主震的应力传递重新激活了先前存在的断层，特别是 Tizi n'Test 断层系统，在高应力区触发了浅层余震。我们认为，地幔上升流，加上沿着预先存在的断层注入的流体，推动了该地区的地震动力学。Tizi n'Test 断层可能延伸到岩石圈-软流圈边界，那里活跃的上升流促进了岩浆液的侵入，刺激了地震活动。这些发现与最近的研究一致，为阿特拉斯山脉的断层力学提供了更深入的见解。 它们还强调了基于卫星的 SAR 技术在发现隐藏的地震危害方面的重大贡献。