Earthquakes Along the Passive Margin of Greenland: Evidence for Postglacial Rebound Control

An intriguing observation in Greenland is a clear spatial correlation between seismicity and deglaciated areas along passive continental margins, a piece of evidence for earthquake triggering due to postglacial rebound. Another piece of evidence for induced seismicity due to deglaciation derives from earthquake source mechanisms. Sparse, low magnitude seismicity has made it difficult to determine focal mechanisms from Greenland earthquakes. On the basis of two normal faulting events along deglaciated margins and from the spatial distribution of epicenters, earlier investigators suggested that the earthquakes of Greenland are due to postglacial rebound. This interpretation is tested here by using more recent data. Broadband waveforms of teleseismic P waves from the August 10, 1993 (mb ¼ 5.4) and October 14, 1998 (mb ¼ 5.1) earthquakes have been inverted for moment tensors and source parameters. Both mechanisms indicate normal faulting with small strike-slip components: the 1993 event, strike ¼ 348.9 , dip ¼ 41.0 , rake ¼ )56.3 , focal depth ¼ 11 km, seismic moment ¼ 1.03 · 1024 dyne-cm, and Mw ¼ 5.3; the 1998 event, strike ¼ 61.6 , dip ¼ 58.0 , rake ¼ )95.5 , focal depth ¼ 5 km, seismic moment ¼ 5.72 · 1023 dynecm, and Mw ¼ 5.1. These and the two prior events support the theory that the shallow part of the lithosphere beneath the deglaciated margins is under horizontal extension. The observed stress field can be explained as flexural stresses due to removal of ice loads and surface loads by glacial erosion. These local extensional stresses are further enhanced by the spreading stress of continental crust and reactivate preexisting faults. Earthquake characteristics observed from Greenland suggest that the dominant seismogenic stresses are from postglacial rebound and spreading of the continental lithosphere.