Characterizing the Occurrence of Linear Seismicity Streaks Along the San Andreas Fault

Rajani Shrestha, Roland Bürgmann, & Zachary E. Ross

Submitted August 30, 2026, SCEC Contribution #15647, 2026 SCEC Annual Meeting Poster #TBD

Linear streaks of micro-seismicity are often interpreted as common features of creeping faults. These streaks have been previously observed along different sections of the San Andreas fault and elsewhere. However, previous studies have only looked at isolated sections and not fully characterized the location and the orientation of these streaks along the entire San Andreas. The newer improved catalogs provide an excellent opportunity to compare what the occurrence of the seismicity streaks looks like at present and probe what they tell us about creep on faults. To investigate the occurrence of linear seismicity streaks and investigate what governs it, we perform a comprehensive and quantitative search along the San Andreas fault using techniques from spatial point pattern theory. Interestingly, we observe that the occurrence of the most prominent streaks corresponds to neither the highest repeater density nor the highest creep rate. Rather, some of the most prominent streaks occur along sections where the fault transitions from faster to slower surface creep rates such as near San Juan Bautista. Our results show that most of the streaks detected along the San Andreas are persistent through time and are likely generated at locked-creeping interfaces.

Key Words
San Andreas Fault, Fault Creep, Microseismicity, Seismicity Streaks, Spatial Point Pattern Analysis

Citation
Shrestha, R., Bürgmann, R., & Ross, Z. E. (2026, 08). Characterizing the Occurrence of Linear Seismicity Streaks Along the San Andreas Fault. Poster Presentation at 2026 SCEC Annual Meeting.

Related Projects & Working Groups
Seismology