The 2021 Mw 7.2 Haiti earthquake: Blind thrust rupture revealed by space geodetic observations and Bayesian estimation

On 14 August 2021, a large earthquake struck the southern region of Haiti. The epicenter of this earthquake is located relatively close to the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden Fault (EPGF) zone, a major active fault with a strike-slip mechanism in the southern part of Hispaniola. Since the epicenter of this earthquake is located relatively close to the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden Fault zone, one might think that the EPGF is the causative fault. Using a Bayesian approach, the Sentinel-1 data is then utilized to investigate the seismogenic fault responsible for the 2021 Haiti earthquake. The Bayesian inversion indicated that the mainshock ruptured a north-dipping fault with a strike and a dip of 270.9° and 69.2°, respectively, and buried at a depth of 10.3 km from the earth’s surface. The preferred slip model showed that the rupture did not reach the surface and was confined at a depth of ∼6 km to ∼32 km. The preferred fault geometry is in good agreement with the relocated aftershock distribution and is inconsistent with the EPGF system configuration. It indicates that the EPGF is probably not the seismogenic fault responsible for the 2021 Haiti earthquake. Instead, results suggested that the 2021 Haiti earthquake ruptured an unmapped blind fault.