This underwater fault near Ecuador has baffled scientists for decades. They just cracked it

Scientists have identified natural "brakes" within the Gofar transform fault, located deep beneath the eastern Pacific Ocean. These "barrier zones," characterized by complex fault geometry and trapped seawater, repeatedly stop magnitude 6 earthquakes from growing larger. This discovery offers crucial insights into earthquake limits on transform faults globally.

Raccontata daeconomictimes.indiatimes.com