# Geophysical conditions favoring precursory slip before major earthquakes

Source: [nature.com](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-79533-2) · 2026-11-14 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/geophysical-conditions-favoring-precursory-slip-before-major-earthquakes-eb2431699719f6e8
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- Laboratory experiments indicate that precursory slow slip before earthquakes is controlled by fault roughness and stress.
- On smooth faults, precursory slip is most pronounced at low stress.
- The study was published in Nature Communications on 14 November 2026 (doi:10.1038/s41467-026-79533-2).

## Why it matters

The findings offer a laboratory-based explanation for when precursory slow slip appears before major earthquakes, which bears on how researchers interpret such signals in fault monitoring.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-14: Study published online in Nature Communications

## Coverage

- [Geophysical conditions favoring precursory slip before major earthquakes](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-79533-2) — nature.com, 2026-11-14

Tags: earthquakes, fault mechanics, slow slip, laboratory experiments, seismology

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science