InSAR observations in 2014–2021 reveal variations in shallow creep on the Kangding segment of the Xianshuihe fault

<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Identifying the location of fault creep, quantifying its rate and spatiotemporal variation are critical for seismic hazard assessment. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) observations have identified substantial shallow aseismic slip along the Kangding segment of the Xianshuihe fault, with rates reaching up to ~20 mm/yr. Due to the Kangding &#160;earthquake in 2014, whether the aseismic slip along the segment reflects the secular creep, afterslip effects, or their joint contribution remains unresolved. In this study, we characterize the temporal evolution of shallow creep rates on the fault plane, using both ascending and descending Sentinel-1A/B data spanning 2014-2021. The results indicate most of afterslip ends within two years following the 2014 Kangding earthquake. With the afterslip disappearing, the number of earthquakes distributed in the afterslip zone gradually decreases. We then identify a ~15 km-long creeping segment with a steady slip rate ~13 mm/yr between Huiyuan temple and Jinlong temple. In addition, a series of seismic clusters located within the creeping segment potentially bear the signature of repeating earthquakes, although we must confirm this hypothesis. Considering that the ruptures of historical strong earthquakes do not fully penetrate the creeping segment, it might act as a barrier to arrest the next earthquake rupture.</p>