In subduction zones the plate interface (megathrust) is typically poorly imaged at depths > 12 km, however its precise geometry and nature as well as the positions of updip and downdip limits of the seismogenic zone are important elements to understand the generation of megathrust earthquakes. Using deep marine seismic reflection and refraction data, we observed discontinuous reflections off the top of the subducting oceanic crust down to 60 km depth in the 2004 great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake rupture zone. We find that the top of the downgoing plate does not dip gently into the subduction zone but instead displays a staircase 2 geometry with three successive, 5-15 km vertical steps, spaced ~50 km apart. Microearthquake data indicate that most of the seismicity lies below this interface, suggesting that the oceanic plate is deforming actively. Along part of the profile, we also image a second reflector located 8-10 km below the top of the oceanic crust. The forward modelling of the gravity data along the profile supports the presence of a high-density material above this reflector. The presence of a staircase shape for the top of the oceanic crust, together with constraints from gravity data and earthquake data, require that the megathrust goes through this second reflector. This leads us to conclude that the megathrust is at least partly located in the oceanic mantle and that underplating of oceanic crust beneath the wedge and underplating of upper mantle beneath the forearc basin are taking place in this region.

[1] Over the last 20 years, the Great Sumatran Fault (GSF) has been studied on land, but we have very little information about its offshore extension NW of Sumatra and its link with the West Andaman Fault to the north. The problem is further complicated by its vicinity to the volcanic arc. Here we present detailed analyses of the offshore extension of the GSF based on recently acquired high-resolution bathymetry, multichannel seismic reflection data and some old single channel seismic reflection data. Our findings demonstrate that the branches of the GSF near Banda Aceh proceed further northwestward producing two 15-20 km wide adjacent basins. The southwestern transpressional Breueh basin is 1-2 km deep and has a flower structure with a push-up ridge in the center, suggesting the presence of an active strike-slip fault. The presence of strike-slip earthquakes beneath this basin further suggests that one active branch of the GSF passes through this basin. The northeastern transtensional Weh basin is up to 3.4 km deep and the absence of recent sediments on the basin floor suggests that the basin is very young. The presence of a chain of volcanoes in the center of the basin suggests that the Sumatran volcanic arc passes through this basin. The anomalous depth of the Weh basin might be a site of early back-arc spreading or may have resulted from pull-apart extension. We examine all these new observations in the light of plate motion, local deformation and possible seismic risk.

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