{{Other uses|Asperity (disambiguation){{!}}Asperity}} An '''asperity''' is an area on an active fault where there is increased friction, such that the fault may become locked, rather than continuously slipping as in aseismic creep. Earthquake rupture generally begins with the failure of an asperity, allowing the fault to move.<ref name="Asperity on a Fault">{{cite web | url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/animations/asperity.php | title=Asperity on a Fault | publisher=United States Geological Survey | accessdate=28 October 2018}}</ref>
==See also== * Asperity (materials science) * Asperity (geotechnical engineering) * Earthquake * Fault friction * Fault mechanics
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/animation/asperity_on_a_fault IRIS page on fault asperities with simple cartoon video of an asperity on an active fault] * [https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/teachearth/activities/asperity_description.pdf IRIS page on "Modeling Asperities on a Strike-Slip Fault with Spaghetti"]
Category:Seismology
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