Rheological heterogeneities at the roots of the seismogenic zone

Although rheological heterogeneities are invoked to explain differences in fault-slip behavior, case studies where an interdisciplinary approach is adopted to capture their specific roles are still rare. In this work, we integrated geophysical, geological, and laboratory data to explain how rheological heterogeneities influence the earthquake activity at the roots of the seismogenic zone. During the 2016–2017 Central Italy sequence, following the major earthquakes, we observed a deepening of seismicity within the basement associated with a transient stress change. Part of this seismicity was organized in clusters of events, with similar sizes and waveforms. The structural study of exhumed basement rocks highlighted a heterogeneous fabric made of strong, quartz-rich lenses (up to 200 m) surrounded by a weak, interconnected phyllosilicate-rich matrix. Laboratory experiments simulating the main shock–induced increase in loading rate showed that the matrix lithology experienced an accelerating and self-decelerating aseismic creep, whereas the lens lithology showed dynamic instabilities. Our results suggest that the post–main shock loading rate increases favored accelerated creep within the matrix, which promoted, as a consequence, seismic instabilities within the lenses in the form of clustered seismicity. Our findings emphasize the strong connection between seismicity and the structural and frictional properties of the seismogenic zone.