Earthquake fault of the 26 May 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake observed by SAR interferometry

We analyzed synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) to reveal surface deformation associated with the 26 May 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake, for which the fault location and geometry have not been clearly determined. Our results demonstrate that surface deformation occurred ∼10 km east of the Opak River fault thought to be the source of the May 2006 event and that the probable causative fault delineated in this study is consistent with aftershock epicenters determined by a temporary seismic network. The trace of the causative fault bends at its southern termination toward the Opak River fault as if it were a splay. Our data demonstrate that another probable slip plane extends across Yogyakarta and that the heavily damaged areas covered by young volcanic deposits may have undergone subsidence during the earthquake.