Different Types of Shear Stress Release in Metastable Olivine

A key element to understand the mechanism of shallow-intermediate and very deep earthquakesis here provided by an accurate model description of the stress-strain curves of the subducting material, i.e. the metastable Olivine. Specifically, atomistic modeling was carried out throughab initiotechniques for the Mg₂SiO₄forsterite end-member at different pressure ranges. The achieved stress-strain relationships were finally compared to the Moment Rate Source-Time Functions (MRSTFs) and Fracture Energies values. We found that deep events have a common rupture pattern that differs substantially from that of shallow-intermediate earthquakes. This finding is in line with the different behavior observed in the stress-strain curves as a function of depth.