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Reply to: On the effects of fault alignment on slip stability

Nature volume 642, pages E22–E23 (2025)Cite this article

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The Original Article was published on 18 June 2025

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replying to: Y. Fialko & Y. Kaneko. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09117-5 (2025).

In Lee et al.1, we found that creeping faults correlate with well-aligned fault networks and locked, seismogenic faults correlate with fault-network misalignment. We suggested that these observations could be caused by geometric locking that is distinct from standard fault stability criteria based on rate-and-state2 friction. In the accompanying comment3, Fialko and Kaneko criticize several different aspects of our work and conclude that the standard rate-and-state friction framework can explain all variability in creep. Although our correlation study cannot prove that our suggested mechanism is correct, and we agree that Fialko and Kaneko make some reasonable points, here we explain why geometric locking may be an influential factor governing earthquake processes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Jaeseok Lee, Victor C. Tsai & Greg Hirth

  2. Nevada Seismological Laboratory, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA

    Avigyan Chatterjee & Daniel T. Trugman

Authors
  1. Jaeseok Lee
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  2. Victor C. Tsai
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  3. Greg Hirth
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  4. Avigyan Chatterjee
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  5. Daniel T. Trugman
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Contributions

V.C.T. led the writing of the manuscript. J.L., G.H., A.C. and D.T.T. contributed to the editing of the manuscript and all authors approved the final version.

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Correspondence to Victor C. Tsai.

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Lee, J., Tsai, V.C., Hirth, G. et al. Reply to: On the effects of fault alignment on slip stability. Nature 642, E22–E23 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09118-4

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