Abstract
Deep earthquakes (70–700 km) occur at pressure and temperature conditions that, in theory, should not allow for brittle failure. However, these earthquakes are commonly observed along subduction zones, and there is no consensus on the mechanism that generates them, which is still an open question in seismology. Here, I review the seismic activity and relocation of intermediate-depth earthquakes (IDE, 70–300 km) in Colombia using waveform data from the Servicio Geológico Colombiano. IDEs are found along two segments separated by about 250 km in the EW direction. In the south segment (the Cauca seismic cluster), I highlight the occurrence of unusual earthquakes in the mantle wedge, which have only been reported in three or four subduction zones, including Colombia. In the north segment (the Bucaramanga seismic nest), IDEs are clustered, separated by regions with little or no seismicity. The Bucaramanga nest (BN) and the Cucunubá cluster are just two examples. In the latter, anti-repeating earthquakes, a type of event only reported in the BN, or associated with magma intrusions, have occurred. Based on these and many other examples, Colombia can be considered an ideal natural laboratory for studying IDEs.
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