Which process causes increased earthquake frequency along strike-slip fault lines under high geothermal gradients?

💡 Explanation

When high geothermal gradients are present, mineral dehydration occurs because rocks release water which raises pore fluid pressure, decreasing effective stress and frictional resistance along the fault, leading to more frequent earthquakes. Therefore, elevated pore fluid pressure happens, rather than accelerated plate creep, melting-induced effects, or metastable phase transitions which lack direct temperature dependence.

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