Miocene extension and extensional folding in an anticlinal segment of the Black Mountains accommodation zone, Colorado River extensional corridor, southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Varga, R.J.; Faulds, J.E.; Snee, L.W.; Harlan, S.S.; Bettison-Varga, L.

2004-01-01

Recent studies demonstrate that rifts are characterized by linked tilt domains, each containing a consistent polarity of normal faults and stratal tilt directions, and that the transition between domains is typically through formation of accommodation zones and generally not through production of throughgoing transfer faults. The mid-Miocene Black Mountains accommodation zone of southern Nevada and western Arizona is a well-exposed example of an accommodation zone linking two regionally extensive and opposing tilt domains. In the southeastern part of this zone near Kingman, Arizona, east dipping normal faults of the Whipple tilt domain and west dipping normal faults of the Lake Mead domain coalesce across a relatively narrow region characterized by a series of linked, extensional folds. The geometry of these folds in this strike-parallel portion of the accommodation zone is dictated by the geometry of the interdigitating normal faults of opposed polarity. Synclines formed where normal faults of opposite polarity face away from each other whereas anticlines formed where the opposed normal faults face each other. Opposed normal faults with small overlaps produced short folds with axial trends at significant angles to regional strike directions, whereas large fault overlaps produce elongate folds parallel to faults. Analysis of faults shows that the folds are purely extensional and result from east/northeast stretching and fault-related tilting. The structural geometry of this portion of the accommodation zone mirrors that of the Black Mountains accommodation zone more regionally, with both transverse and strike-parallel antithetic segments. Normal faults of both tilt domains lose displacement and terminate within the accommodation zone northwest of Kingman, Arizona. However, isotopic dating of growth sequences and crosscutting relationships show that the initiation of the two fault systems in this area was not entirely synchronous and that west dipping faults of the Lake Mead domain began to form between 1 m.y. to 0.2 m.y. prior to east dipping faults of the Whipple domain. The accommodation zone formed above an active and evolving magmatic center that, prior to rifting, produced intermediate-composition volcanic rocks and that, during rifting, produced voluminous rhyolite and basalt magmas. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

Enhanced Structural Interpretation Using Multitrace Seismic Attribute For Oligo-Miocene Target at Madura Strait Offshore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratama Wahyu Hidayat, Putra; Hary Murti, Antonius; Sudarmaji; Shirly, Agung; Tiofan, Bani; Damayanti, Shinta

2018-03-01

Geometry is an important parameter for the field of hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation, it has significant effect to the amount of resources or reserves, rock spreading, and risk analysis. The existence of geological structure or fault becomes one factor affecting geometry. This study is conducted as an effort to enhance seismic image quality in faults dominated area namely offshore Madura Strait. For the past 10 years, Oligo-Miocene carbonate rock has been slightly explored on Madura Strait area, the main reason because migration and trap geometry still became risks to be concern. This study tries to determine the boundary of each fault zone as subsurface image generated by converting seismic data into variance attribute. Variance attribute is a multitrace seismic attribute as the derivative result from amplitude seismic data. The result of this study shows variance section of Madura Strait area having zero (0) value for seismic continuity and one (1) value for discontinuity of seismic data. Variance section shows the boundary of RMKS fault zone with Kendeng zone distinctly. Geological structure and subsurface geometry for Oligo-Miocene carbonate rock could be identified perfectly using this method. Generally structure interpretation to identify the boundary of fault zones could be good determined by variance attribute.

Characterization of the Hosgri Fault Zone and adjacent structures in the offshore Santa Maria Basin, south-central California: Chapter CC of Evolution of sedimentary basins/onshore oil and gas investigations - Santa Maria province

USGS Publications Warehouse

Willingham, C. Richard; Rietman, Jan D.; Heck, Ronald G.; Lettis, William R.

2013-01-01

The Hosgri Fault Zone trends subparallel to the south-central California coast for 110 km from north of Point Estero to south of Purisima Point and forms the eastern margin of the present offshore Santa Maria Basin. Knowledge of the attributes of the Hosgri Fault Zone is important for petroleum development, seismic engineering, and environmental planning in the region. Because it lies offshore along its entire reach, our characterizations of the Hosgri Fault Zone and adjacent structures are primarily based on the analysis of over 10,000 km of common-depth-point marine seismic reflection data collected from a 5,000-km2 area of the central and eastern parts of the offshore Santa Maria Basin. We describe and illustrate the along-strike and downdip geometry of the Hosgri Fault Zone over its entire length and provide examples of interpreted seismic reflection records and a map of the structural trends of the fault zone and adjacent structures in the eastern offshore Santa Maria Basin. The seismic data are integrated with offshore well and seafloor geologic data to describe the age and seismic appearance of offshore geologic units and marker horizons. We develop a basin-wide seismic velocity model for depth conversions and map three major unconformities along the eastern offshore Santa Maria Basin. Accompanying plates include maps that are also presented as figures in the report. Appendix A provides microfossil data from selected wells and appendix B includes uninterpreted copies of the annotated seismic record sections illustrated in the chapter. Features of the Hosgri Fault Zone documented in this investigation are suggestive of both lateral and reverse slip. Characteristics indicative of lateral slip include (1) the linear to curvilinear character of the mapped trace of the fault zone, (2) changes in structural trend along and across the fault zone that diminish in magnitude toward the ends of the fault zone, (3) localized compressional and extensional structures characteristic of constraining and releasing bends and stepovers, (4) changes in the sense and magnitude of vertical separation along strike within the fault zone, and (5) changes in downdip geometry between the major traces and segments of the fault zone. Characteristics indicative of reverse slip include (1) reverse fault geometries that occur across major strands of the fault zone and (2) fault-bend folds and localized thrust faults that occur along the northern and southern reaches of the fault. Analyses of high-resolution, subbottom profiler and side-scan sonar records indicate localized Holocene activity along most of the extent of the fault zone. Collectively, these features are the basis of our characterization of the Hosgri Fault Zone as an active, 110-km-long, convergent right-oblique slip (transpressional) fault with identified northern and southern terminations. This interpretation is consistent with recently published analyses of onshore geologic data, regional tectonic kinematic models, and instrumental seismicity.

Fault and fracture patterns in low porosity chalk and their potential influence on sub-surface fluid flow-A case study from Flamborough Head, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagi, D. A.; De Paola, N.; McCaffrey, K. J. W.; Holdsworth, R. E.

2016-10-01

To better understand fault zone architecture and fluid flow in mesoscale fault zones, we studied normal faults in chalks with displacements up to 20 m, at two representative localities in Flamborough Head (UK). At the first locality, chalk contains cm-thick, interlayered marl horizons, whereas at the second locality marl horizons were largely absent. Cm-scale displacement faults at both localities display ramp-flat geometries. Mesoscale fault patterns in the marl-free chalk, including a larger displacement fault (20 m) containing multiple fault strands, show widespread evidence of hydraulically-brecciated rocks, whereas clays smears along fault planes, and injected into open fractures, and a simpler fault zone architecture is observed where marl horizons are present. Hydraulic brecciation and veins observed in the marl-free chalk units suggest that mesoscale fault patterns acted as localized fault conduit allowing for widespread fluid flow. On the other hand, mesoscale fault patterns developed in highly fractured chalk, which contains interlayered marl horizons can act as localized barriers to fluid flow, due to the sealing effect of clays smears along fault planes and introduced into open fractures in the damage zone. To support our field observations, quantitative analyses carried out on the large faults suggest a simple fault zone in the chalk with marl units with fracture density/connectivity decreasing towards the protolith. Where marls are absent, density is high throughout the fault zone, while connectivity is high only in domains nearest the fault core. We suggest that fluid flow in fractured chalk is especially influenced by the presence of marls. When present, it can smear onto fault planes, forming localised barriers. Fluid flow along relatively large displacement faults is additionally controlled by the complexity of the fault zone, especially the size/geometry of weakly and intensely connected damage zone domains.

Nucleation and arrest of slow slip earthquakes: mechanisms and nonlinear simulations using realistic fault geometries and heterogeneous medium properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves da Silva Junior, J.; Frank, W.; Campillo, M.; Juanes, R.

2017-12-01

Current models for slow slip earthquakes (SSE) assume a simplified fault embedded on a homogeneous half-space. In these models SSE events nucleate on the transition from velocity strengthening (VS) to velocity weakening (VW) down dip from the trench and propagate towards the base of the seismogenic zone, where high normal effective stress is assumed to arrest slip. Here, we investigate SSE nucleation and arrest using quasi-static finite element simulations, with rate and state friction, on a domain with heterogeneous properties and realistic fault geometry. We use the fault geometry of the Guerrero Gap in the Cocos subduction zone, where SSE events occurs every 4 years, as a proxy for subduction zone. Our model is calibrated using surface displacements from GPS observations. We apply boundary conditions according to the plate convergence rate and impose a depth-dependent pore pressure on the fault. Our simulations indicate that the fault geometry and elastic properties of the medium play a key role in the arrest of SSE events at the base of the seismogenic zone. SSE arrest occurs due to aseismic deformations of the domain that result in areas with elevated effective stress. SSE nucleation occurs in the transition from VS to VW and propagates as a crack-like expansion with increased nucleation length prior to dynamic instability. Our simulations encompassing multiple seismic cycles indicate SSE interval times between 1 and 10 years and, importantly, a systematic increase of rupture area prior to dynamic instability, followed by a hiatus in the SSE occurrence. We hypothesize that these SSE characteristics, if confirmed by GPS observations in different subduction zones, can add to the understanding of nucleation of large earthquakes in the seismogenic zone.

Extrapolating surface structures to depth in transpressional systems: the role of rheology and convergence angle deduced from analogue experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, S. Y.; Neubauer, F.; Willingshofer, E.; Sokoutis, D.

2014-12-01

The internal structure of major strike-slip faults is still poorly understood, particularly how the deep structure could be inferred from its surface expression (Molnar and Dayem, 2011). Previous analogue experiments suggest that the convergence angle is the most influential factor (Leever et al., 2011). Further analogue modeling may allow a better understanding how to extrapolate surface structures to the subsurface geometry of strike-slip faults. Various scenarios of analogue experiments were designed to represent strike-slip faults in nature from different geological settings. As such key parameters, which are investigated in this study include: (a) the angle of convergence, (b) the thickness of brittle layer, (c) the influence of a rheological weak layer within the crust, and (d) influence of a thick and rheologically weak layer at the base of the crust. The latter aimed to simulate the effect of a hot metamorphic core complex or an alignment of uprising plutons bordered by a transtensional/transpressional strike-slip fault. The preliminary results show that convergence angle significantly influences the overall geometry of the transpressive system with greater convergence angles resulting in wider fault zones and higher elevation. Different positions, densities and viscosities of weak rheological layers have not only different surface expressions but also affect the fault geometry in the subsurface. For instance, rheological weak material in the bottom layer results in stretching when experiment reaches a certain displacement and a buildup of a less segmented, wide positive flower structure. At the surface, a wide fault valley in the middle of the fault zone is the reflection of stretching along the velocity discontinuity at depth. In models with a thin and rheologically weaker layer in the middle of the brittle layer, deformation is distributed over more faults and the geometry of the fault zone below and above the weak zone shows significant differences. This latter experiment has significantly similar phenomena in reality, such as few pressure ridges along Altyn fault. The experimental results underline the need to understand the role of the convergence angle and the influence of rheology on fault evolution, in order to connect between surface deformation and subsurface geometry.

Preliminary Gravity and Magnetic Data of the Lake Pillsbury Region, Northern Coast Ranges, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Jachens, Robert C.; Morin, Robert L.; McCabe, Craig A.

2007-01-01

The Lake Pillsbury region is transected by the Bartlett Springs Fault zone, one of the main strike-slip faults of the San Andreas system north of San Francisco Bay, California. Gravity and magnetic data were collected to help characterize the geometry and offset of the fault zone as well as determine the geometry of the Gravelly Valley pull-apart basin and Potter Valley, an alluvial intermontane basin southwest of Lake Pillsbury. The Bartlett Springs fault zone lies at the base of a significant gravity gradient. Superposed on the gradient is a small gravity low centered over Lake Pillsbury and Gravelly Valley. Another small gravity low coincides with Potter Valley. Inversion of gravity data for basin thickness indicates a maximum thickness of 400 and 440 m for the Gravelly and Potter Valley depressions, respectively. Ground magnetic data indicate that the regional aeromagnetic data likely suffer from positional errors, but that large, long-wavelength anomalies, sourced from serpentinite, may be offset 8 km along the Bartlett Springs Fault zone. Additional gravity data collected either on the lake surface or bottom and in Potter Valley would better determine the shape of the basins. A modern, high-resolution aeromagnetic survey would greatly augment the ability to map and model the fault geometry quantitatively.

Anatomy of an Active Seismic Source: the Interplay between Present-Day Seismic Activity and Inherited Fault Zone Architecture (Central Apennines, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fondriest, M.; Demurtas, M.; Bistacchi, A.; Fabrizio, B.; Storti, F.; Valoroso, L.; Di Toro, G.

2017-12-01

The mechanics and seismogenic behaviour of fault zones are strongly influenced by their internal structure, in terms of both fault geometry and fault rock constitutive properties. In recent years high-resolution seismological techniques yielded new constraints on the geometry and velocity structure of seismogenic faults down to 10s meters length scales. This reduced the gap between geophysical imaging of active seismic sources and field observations of exhumed fault zones. Nevertheless fundamental questions such as the origin of geometrical and kinematic complexities associated to seismic faulting remain open. We addressed these topics by characterizing the internal structure of the Vado di Corno Fault Zone, an active seismogenic normal fault cutting carbonates in the Central Apennines of Italy and comparing it with the present-day seismicity of the area. The fault footwall block, which was exhumed from < 2 km depth, was mapped with high detail (< 1 m spatial resolution) for 2 km of exposure along strike, combining field structural data and photogrammetric surveys in a three dimensional structural model. Three main structural units separated by principal fault strands were recognized: (i) cataclastic unit (20-100 m thick), (ii) damage zone (≤ 300 m thick), (iii) breccia unit ( 20 thick). The cataclastic unit lines the master fault and represents the core of the normal fault zone. In-situ shattering together with evidence of extreme (possibly coseismic) shear strain localization (e.g., mirror-like faults with truncated clasts, ultrafine-grained sheared veins) was recognized. The breccia unit is an inherited thrust zone affected by pervasive veining and secondary dolomitization. It strikes subparallel to the active normal fault and is characterized by a non-cylindrical geometry with 10-100 m long frontal and lateral ramps. The cataclastic unit cuts through thrust flats within the breccia unit, whereas normal to oblique inversion occur on frontal and lateral ramps. A comparable structural setting was imaged South-West of the study area, during the 2009 L'Aquila seismic sequence. Here at 2 km depth, the master normal fault cross-cuts a 10 km long flat structure and clear lateral ramps are illuminated, suggesting the superposition of normal seismic faulting on inherited compressional structures.

Estimating Hydraulic Conductivities in a Fractured Shale Formation from Pressure Pulse Testing and 3d Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courbet, C.; DICK, P.; Lefevre, M.; Wittebroodt, C.; Matray, J.; Barnichon, J.

2013-12-01

In the framework of its research on the deep disposal of radioactive waste in shale formations, the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) has developed a large array of in situ programs concerning the confining properties of shales in their underground research laboratory at Tournemire (SW France). One of its aims is to evaluate the occurrence and processes controlling radionuclide migration through the host rock, from the disposal system to the biosphere. Past research programs carried out at Tournemire covered mechanical, hydro-mechanical and physico-chemical properties of the Tournemire shale as well as water chemistry and long-term behaviour of the host rock. Studies show that fluid circulations in the undisturbed matrix are very slow (hydraulic conductivity of 10-14 to 10-15 m.s-1). However, recent work related to the occurrence of small scale fractures and clay-rich fault gouges indicate that fluid circulations may have been significantly modified in the vicinity of such features. To assess the transport properties associated with such faults, IRSN designed a series of in situ and laboratory experiments to evaluate the contribution of both diffusive and advective process on water and solute flux through a clay-rich fault zone (fault core and damaged zone) and in an undisturbed shale formation. As part of these studies, Modular Mini-Packer System (MMPS) hydraulic testing was conducted in multiple boreholes to characterize hydraulic conductivities within the formation. Pressure data collected during the hydraulic tests were analyzed using the nSIGHTS (n-dimensional Statistical Inverse Graphical Hydraulic Test Simulator) code to estimate hydraulic conductivity and formation pressures of the tested intervals. Preliminary results indicate hydraulic conductivities of 5.10-12 m.s-1 in the fault core and damaged zone and 10-14 m.s-1 in the adjacent undisturbed shale. Furthermore, when compared with neutron porosity data from borehole logging, porosity varies by a factor of 2.5 whilst hydraulic conductivity varies by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. In addition, a 3D numerical reconstruction of the internal structure of the fault zone inferred from borehole imagery has been built to estimate the permeability tensor variations. First results indicate that hydraulic conductivity values calculated for this structure are 2 to 3 orders of magnitude above those measured in situ. Such high values are due to the imaging method that only takes in to account open fractures of simple geometry (sine waves). Even though improvements are needed to handle more complex geometry, outcomes are promising as the fault damaged zone clearly appears as the highest permeability zone, where stress analysis show that the actual stress state may favor tensile reopening of fractures. Using shale samples cored from the different internal structures of the fault zone, we aim now to characterize the advection and diffusion using laboratory petrophysical tests combined with radial and through-diffusion experiments.

Transfer zones in listric normal fault systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, Shamik

Listric normal faults are common in passive margin settings where sedimentary units are detached above weaker lithological units, such as evaporites or are driven by basal structural and stratigraphic discontinuities. The geometries and styles of faulting vary with the types of detachment and form landward and basinward dipping fault systems. Complex transfer zones therefore develop along the terminations of adjacent faults where deformation is accommodated by secondary faults, often below seismic resolution. The rollover geometry and secondary faults within the hanging wall of the major faults also vary with the styles of faulting and contribute to the complexity of the transfer zones. This study tries to understand the controlling factors for the formation of the different styles of listric normal faults and the different transfer zones formed within them, by using analog clay experimental models. Detailed analyses with respect to fault orientation, density and connectivity have been performed on the experiments in order to gather insights on the structural controls and the resulting geometries. A new high resolution 3D laser scanning technology has been introduced to scan the surfaces of the clay experiments for accurate measurements and 3D visualizations. Numerous examples from the Gulf of Mexico have been included to demonstrate and geometrically compare the observations in experiments and real structures. A salt cored convergent transfer zone from the South Timbalier Block 54, offshore Louisiana has been analyzed in detail to understand the evolutionary history of the region, which helps in deciphering the kinematic growth of similar structures in the Gulf of Mexico. The dissertation is divided into three chapters, written in a journal article format, that deal with three different aspects in understanding the listric normal fault systems and the transfer zones so formed. The first chapter involves clay experimental models to understand the fault patterns in divergent and convergent transfer zones. Flat base plate setups have been used to build different configurations that would lead to approaching, normal offset and overlapping faults geometries. The results have been analyzed with respect to fault orientation, density, connectivity and 3D geometry from photographs taken from the three free surfaces and laser scans of the top surface of the clay cake respectively. The second chapter looks into the 3D structural analysis of the South Timbalier Block 54, offshore Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico with the help of a 3D seismic dataset and associated well tops and velocity data donated by ExxonMobil Corporation. This study involves seismic interpretation techniques, velocity modeling, cross section restoration of a series of seismic lines and 3D subsurface modeling using depth converted seismic horizons, well tops and balanced cross sections. The third chapter deals with the clay experiments of listric normal fault systems and tries to understand the controls on geometries of fault systems with and without a ductile substrate. Sloping flat base plate setups have been used and silicone fluid underlain below the clay cake has been considered as an analog for salt. The experimental configurations have been varied with respect to three factors viz. the direction of slope with respect to extension, the termination of silicone polymer with respect to the basal discontinuities and overlap of the base plates. The analyses for the experiments have again been performed from photographs and 3D laser scans of the clay surface.

Initiation of deformation of the Eastern California Shear Zone: Constraints from Garlock fault geometry and GPS observations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gan, Weijun; Zhang, P.; Shen, Z.-K.; Prescott, W.H.; Svarc, J.L.

2003-01-01

We suggest a 2-stage deformation model for the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ) to explain the geometry of the Garlock fault trace. We assume the Garlock fault was originally straight and then was gradually curved by right-lateral shear deformation across the ECSZ. In our 2-stage deformation model, the first stage involves uniform shear deformation across the eastern part of the shear zone, and the second stage involves uniform shear deformation across the entire shear zone. In addition to the current shape of the Garlock fault, our model incorporates constraints on contemporary deformation rates provided by GPS observations. We find that the best fitting age for initiation of shear in eastern part of the ECSZ is about 5.0 ?? 0.4 Ma, and that deformation of the western part started about 1.6 Myr later.

Fault geometries in basement-induced wrench faulting under different initial stress states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naylor, M. A.; Mandl, G.; Supesteijn, C. H. K.

Scaled sandbox experiments were used to generate models for relative ages, dip, strike and three-dimensional shape of faults in basement-controlled wrench faulting. The basic fault sequence runs from early en échelon Riedel shears and splay faults through 'lower-angle' shears to P shears. The Riedel shears are concave upwards and define a tulip structure in cross-section. In three dimensions, each Riedel shear has a helicoidal form. The sequence of faults and three-dimensional geometry are rationalized in terms of the prevailing stress field and Coulomb-Mohr theory of shear failure. The stress state in the sedimentary overburden before wrenching begins has a substantial influence on the fault geometries and on the final complexity of the fault zone. With the maximum compressive stress (∂ 1) initially parallel to the basement fault (transtension), Riedel shears are only slightly en échelon, sub-parallel to the basement fault, steeply dipping with a reduced helicoidal aspect. Conversely, with ∂ 1 initially perpendicular to the basement fault (transpression), Riedel shears are strongly oblique to the basement fault strike, have lower dips and an exaggerated helicoidal form; the final fault zone is both wide and complex. We find good agreement between the models and both mechanical theory and natural examples of wrench faulting.

The influence of joint parameters on normal fault evolution and geometry: a parameter study using analogue modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kettermann, Michael; von Hagke, Christoph; Urai, Janos L.

2017-04-01

Dilatant faults often form in rocks containing pre-existing joints, but the effects of joints on fault segment linkage and fracture connectivity is not well understood. Studying evolution of dilatancy and influence of fractures on fault development provides insights into geometry of fault zones in brittle rocks and will eventually allow for predicting their subsurface appearance. In an earlier study we recognized the effect of different angles between strike direction of vertical joints and a basement fault on the geometry of a developing fault zone. We now systematically extend the results by varying geometric joint parameters such as joint spacing and vertical extent of the joints and measuring fracture density and connectivity. A reproducibility study shows a small error-range for the measurements, allowing for a confident use of the experimental setup. Analogue models were carried out in a manually driven deformation box (30x28x20 cm) with a 60° dipping pre-defined basement fault and 4.5 cm of displacement. To produce open joints prior to faulting, sheets of paper were mounted in the box to a depth of 5 cm at a spacing of 2.5 cm. We varied the vertical extent of the joints from 5 to 50 mm. Powder was then sieved into the box, embedding the paper almost entirely (column height of 19 cm), and the paper was removed. During deformation we captured structural information by time-lapse photography that allows particle imaging velocimetry analyses (PIV) to detect localized deformation at every increment of displacement. Post-mortem photogrammetry preserves the final 3-dimensional structure of the fault zone. A counterintuitive result is that joint depth is of only minor importance for the evolution of the fault zone. Even very shallow joints form weak areas at which the fault starts to form and propagate. More important is joint spacing. Very large joint spacing leads to faults and secondary fractures that form subparallel to the basement fault. In contrast, small joint spacing results in fault strands that only localize at the pre-existing joints, and secondary fractures that are oriented at high angles to the pre-existing joints. With this new set of experiments we can now quantitatively constrain how (i) the angle between joints and basement fault, (ii) the joint depth and (iii) the joint spacing affect fault zone parameters such as (1) the damage zone width, (2) the density of secondary fractures, (3) map-view area of open gaps or (4) the fracture connectivity. We apply these results to predict subsurface geometries of joint-fault networks in cohesive rocks, e.g. basaltic sequences in Iceland and sandstones in the Canyonlands NP, USA.

Kinematic evolution of the Maacama Fault Zone, Northern California Coast Ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroeder, Rick D.

The Maacama Fault Zone (MFZ) is a major component of the Pacific-North American transform boundary in northern California, and its distribution of deformation and kinematic evolution defines that of a young continental transform boundary. The USGS Quaternary database (2010) currently defines the MFZ as a relatively narrow fault zone; however, a cluster analysis of microearthquakes beneath the MFZ defines a wider fault zone, composed of multiple seismogenically active faults. The surface projection of best-fit tabular zones through foci clusters correlates with previously interpreted faults that were assumed inactive. New investigations further delineate faults within the MFZ based on geomorphic features and shallow resistivity surveys, and these faults are interpreted to be part of several active pull-apart fault systems. The location of faults and changes in their geometry in relation to geomorphic features, indicate >8 km of cumulative dextral displacement across the eastern portion of the MFZ at Little Lake Valley, which includes other smaller offsets on fault strands in the valley. Some faults within the MFZ have geometries consistent with reactivated subduction-related reverse faults, and project near outcrops of pre-existing faults, filled with mechanically weak minerals. The mechanical behavior of fault zones is influenced by the spatial distribution and abundance of mechanically weak lithologies and mineralogies within the heterogeneous Franciscan melange that the MFZ displaces. This heterogeneity is characterized near Little Lake Valley (LLV) using remotely sensed data, field mapping, and wellbore data, and is composed of 2--5 km diameter disk-shaped coherent blocks that can be competent and resist deformation. Coherent blocks and the melange that surrounds them are the source for altered minerals that fill portions of fault zones. Mechanically weak minerals in pre-existing fault zones, identified by X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe analyses, are interpreted as a major reason for complex configurations of clusters of microearthquakes and zones of aseismic creep along the MFZ. Analysis of the kinematics of the MFZ and the distribution of its deformation is important because it improves the understanding of young stages of transform system evolution, which has implications that affect issues ranging from seismic hazard to petroleum and minerals exploration around the world.

Isostatic Gravity Map with Geology of the Santa Ana 30' x 60' Quadrangle, Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Lee, Tien-Chang; Biehler, Shawn; Jachens, R.C.; Morton, D.M.

2006-01-01

This report presents an updated isostatic gravity map, with an accompanying discussion of the geologic significance of gravity anomalies in the Santa Ana 30 by 60 minute quadrangle, southern California. Comparison and analysis of the gravity field with mapped geology indicates the configuration of structures bounding the Los Angeles Basin, geometry of basins developed within the Elsinore and San Jacinto Fault zones, and a probable Pliocene drainage network carved into the bedrock of the Perris block. Total cumulative horizontal displacement on the Elsinore Fault derived from analysis of the length of strike-slip basins within the fault zone is about 5-12 km and is consistent with previously published estimates derived from other sources of information. This report also presents a map of density variations within pre-Cenozoic metamorphic and igneous basement rocks. Analysis of basement gravity patterns across the Elsinore Fault zone suggests 6-10 km of right-lateral displacement. A high-amplitude basement gravity high is present over the San Joaquin Hills and is most likely caused by Peninsular Ranges gabbro and/or Tertiary mafic intrusion. A major basement gravity gradient coincides with the San Jacinto Fault zone and marked magnetic, seismic-velocity, and isotopic gradients that reflect a discontinuity within the Peninsular Ranges batholith in the northeast corner of the quadrangle.

Relationships between sliding behavior and internal geometry of laboratory fault zones and some creeping and locked strike-slip faults of California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Diane E.; Byerlee, J.

1992-01-01

Moore, D.E. and Byerlee, J., 1992. Relationships between sliding behavior and internal geometry of laboratory fault zones and some creeping and locked strike-slip faults of California. In: T. Mikumo, K. Aki, M. Ohnaka, L.J. Ruff and P.K.P. Spudich (Editors), Earthquake Source Physics and Earthquake Precursors. Tectonophysics, 211: 305-316. In order to relate fault geometries to sliding behavior, maps of recently active breaks within the Hayward fault of central California, which is characterized by fault creep, have been examined and compared to maps of the San Andreas fault. The patterns of recent breaks of the Hayward fault are consistent with those found within the creeping section of the San Andreas, and they appear to have plausible physical explanations in the findings of laboratory experiments. The distinguishing geometric features of the examined locked and creeping faults are: (1) P-type second-order traces predominate over R(Riedel)-type traces in creeping sections; and (2) R-type second-order traces make smaller angles to the local fault strike in creeping sections than they do in locked sections. Two different maps of the Hayward fault gave similar results, supporting the inference that the patterns identified are basic characteristics of the fault rather than artifacts of a particular mapping procedure. P shears predominate over R shears under laboratory conditions that allow dilation within the fault zone. In our own experiments, P-shear development was favored by the generation of excess pore-fluid pressures. We propose that creep in California faults also is the result of fluid overpressures that are maintained in a low-permeability gouge zone and that significantly lower effective stresses, thus helping to stabilize slip and producing high values of the ratio P/R. Small R-trace angles may also be an indicator of low effective stresses, but the evidence for this is not conclusive because other factors can also affect the size of the angles. ?? 1992.

Fault interaction and stresses along broad oceanic transform zone: Tjörnes Fracture Zone, north Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homberg, C.; Bergerat, F.; Angelier, J.; Garcia, S.

2010-02-01

Transform motion along oceanic transforms generally occurs along narrow faults zones. Another class of oceanic transforms exists where the plate boundary is quite large (˜100 km) and includes several subparallel faults. Using a 2-D numerical modeling, we simulate the slip distribution and the crustal stress field geometry within such broad oceanic transforms (BOTs). We examine the possible configurations and evolution of such BOTs, where the plate boundary includes one, two, or three faults. Our experiments show that at any time during the development of the plate boundary, the plate motion is not distributed along each of the plate boundary faults but mainly occurs along a single master fault. The finite width of a BOT results from slip transfer through time with locking of early faults, not from a permanent distribution of deformation over a wide area. Because of fault interaction, the stress field geometry within the BOTs is more complex than that along classical oceanic transforms and includes stress deflections close to but also away from the major faults. Application of this modeling to the 100 km wide Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ) in North Iceland, a major BOT of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that includes three main faults, suggests that the Dalvik Fault and the Husavik-Flatey Fault developed first, the Grismsey Fault being the latest active structure. Since initiation of the TFZ, the Husavik-Flatey Fault accommodated most of the plate motion and probably persists until now as the main plate structure.

Preliminary Pseudo 3-D Imagery of the State Line Fault, Stewart Valley, Nevada Using Seismic Reflection Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saldaña, S. C.; Snelson, C. M.; Taylor, W. J.; Beachly, M.; Cox, C. M.; Davis, R.; Stropky, M.; Phillips, R.; Robins, C.; Cothrun, C.

2007-12-01

The Pahrump Fault system is located in the central Basin and Range region and consists of three main fault zones: the Nopah range front fault zone, the State Line fault zone and the Spring Mountains range fault zone. The State Line fault zone is made up north-west trending dextral strike-slip faults that run parallel to the Nevada- California border. Previous geologic and geophysical studies conducted in and around Stewart Valley, located ~90 km from Las Vegas, Nevada, have constrained the location of the State Line fault zone to within a few kilometers. The goals of this project were to use seismic methods to definitively locate the northwestern most trace of the State Line fault and produce pseudo 3-D seismic cross-sections that can then be used to characterize the subsurface geometry and determine the slip of the State Line fault. During July 2007, four seismic lines were acquired in Stewart Valley: two normal and two parallel to the mapped traces of the State Line fault. Presented here are preliminary results from the two seismic lines acquired normal to the fault. These lines were acquired utilizing a 144-channel geode system with each of the 4.5 Hz vertical geophones set out at 5 m intervals to produce a 595 m long profile to the north and a 715 m long profile to the south. The vibroseis was programmed to produce an 8 s linear sweep from 20-160 Hz. These data returned excellent signal to noise and reveal subsurface lithology that will subsequently be used to resolve the subsurface geometry of the State Line fault. This knowledge will then enhance our understanding of the evolution of the State Line fault. Knowing how the State Line fault has evolved gives insight into the stick-slip fault evolution for the region and may improve understanding of how stress has been partitioned from larger strike-slip systems such as the San Andreas fault.

New insights on active fault geometries in the Mentawai region of Sumatra, Indonesia, from broadband waveform modeling of earthquake source parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

WANG, X.; Wei, S.; Bradley, K. E.

2017-12-01

Global earthquake catalogs provide important first-order constraints on the geometries of active faults. However, the accuracies of both locations and focal mechanisms in these catalogs are typically insufficient to resolve detailed fault geometries. This issue is particularly critical in subduction zones, where most great earthquakes occur. The Slab 1.0 model (Hayes et al. 2012), which was derived from global earthquake catalogs, has smooth fault geometries, and cannot adequately address local structural complexities that are critical for understanding earthquake rupture patterns, coseismic slip distributions, and geodetically monitored interseismic coupling. In this study, we conduct careful relocation and waveform modeling of earthquake source parameters to reveal fault geometries in greater detail. We take advantage of global data and conduct broadband waveform modeling for medium size earthquakes (M>4.5) to refine their source parameters, which include locations and fault plane solutions. The refined source parameters can greatly improve the imaging of fault geometry (e.g., Wang et al., 2017). We apply these approaches to earthquakes recorded since 1990 in the Mentawai region offshore of central Sumatra. Our results indicate that the uncertainty of the horizontal location, depth and dip angle estimation are as small as 5 km, 2 km and 5 degrees, respectively. The refined catalog shows that the 2005 and 2009 "back-thrust" sequences in Mentawai region actually occurred on a steeply landward-dipping fault, contradicting previous studies that inferred a seaward-dipping backthrust. We interpret these earthquakes as `unsticking' of the Sumatran accretionary wedge along a backstop fault that separates accreted material of the wedge from the strong Sunda lithosphere, or reactivation of an old normal fault buried beneath the forearc basin. We also find that the seismicity on the Sunda megathrust deviates in location from Slab 1.0 by up to 7 km, with along strike variation. The refined megathrust geometry will improve our understanding of the tectonic setting in this region, and place further constraints on rupture processes of the hazardous megathrust.

A brittle-ductile high- and low-angle fault related to the Kea extensional detachment (W Cyclades., Greece)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rockenschaub, M.; Grasemann, B.; Iglseder, C.; Rice, A. H. N.; Schneider, D.; Zamolyi, A.

2010-05-01

Roll-back of the African Plate within the Eurasian-African collision zone since the Oligocene/Miocene led to extension in the Cyclades along low-angle normal fault zones and exhumation of rocks from near the brittle-ductile transition zone. On the island of Kea (W Cyclades), which represents such a crustal scale low-angle fault zone with top-to-SSW kinematics, remote sensing analysis of brittle fault lineaments in the Pissis area (W Kea) demonstrates two dominant strike directions: ca. NE-SW and NW-SE. From the north of Pisses southwards, the angle between the two main fault directions changes gradually from a rhombohedral geometry (ca. 50°/130° angle between faults, with the acute angle facing westwards) to an orthogonal geometry. The aim of this study is the development of this fault system. We investigate, if this fault system is related to the Miocene extension or if it is related to a later overprinting event (e.g. the opening of the Corinth) Field observations revealed that the investigated lineaments are high-angle (50-90° dip) brittle/ductile conjugate, faults. Due to the lack of marker layers offsets could only rarely be estimated. Locally centimetre thick marble layers in the greenschists suggest a displacement gradient along the faults with a maximum offset of less than 60 cm. Large displacement gradients are associated with a pronounced ductile fault drag in the host rocks. In some instances, high-angle normal faults were observed to link kinematically with low-angle, top-to-SSW brittle/ductile shear bands. Both the high- and the low-angle faults have a component of ductile shear, which is overprinted by brittle deformation mechanisms. In thin-section, polyphase mode-2 cracks are filled mainly with calcite and quartz (ultra)cataclasites, sometimes followed by further opening with fluid-related iron-rich carbonate (ankeritic) precipitation. CL analysis reveals several generations of cements, indicating multiple phases of cataclastic deformation and fluid infiltration. Ar/Ar white mica data from Pisses constrain ductile deformation to ca. 20 Ma. Since the high-angle faults show a continuum from ductile to brittle deformation, the Ar/Ar cooling ages suggest that faulting must have occurred in the Miocene. Consequently the high-angle faulting was genetically related to the SSW-directed low-angle extensional event and does not represent a later overprint related to a different kinematic event.

Constraints on Subduction Zone Coupling along the Philippine and Manila Trenches based on GPS and Seismological Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamburger, M. W.; Johnson, K. M.; Nowicki, M. A. E.; Bacolcol, T. C.; Solidum, R., Jr.; Galgana, G.; Hsu, Y. J.; Yu, S. B.; Rau, R. J.; McCaffrey, R.

2014-12-01

We present results of two techniques to estimate the degree of coupling along the two major subduction zone boundaries that bound the Philippine Mobile Belt, the Philippine Trench and the Manila Trench. Convergence along these plate margins accommodates about 100 mm/yr of oblique plate motion between the Philippine Sea and Sundaland plates. The coupling estimates are based on a recently acquired set of geodetic data from a dense nationwide network of continuous and campaign GPS sites in the Philippines. First, we use a kinematic, elastic block model (tdefnode; McCaffrey, 2009) that combines existing fault geometries, GPS velocities and focal mechanism solutions to solve for block rotations, fault coupling, and intra-block deformation. Secondly, we use a plate-block kinematic model described in Johnson (2013) to simultaneously estimate long-term fault slip rates, block motions and interseismic coupling on block-bounding faults. The best-fit model represents the Philippine Mobile Belt by 14 independently moving rigid tectonic blocks, separated by active faults and subduction zones. The model predicts rapid convergence along the Manila Trench, decreasing progressively southwards, from > 100 mm/yr in the north to less than 20 mm/yr in the south at the Mindoro Island collision zone. Persistent areas of high coupling, interpreted to be asperities, are observed along the Manila Trench slab interface, in central Luzon (16-18°N) and near its southern and northern terminations. Along the Philippine Trench, we observe ~50 mm/yr of oblique convergence, with high coupling observed at its central and southern segments. We identify the range of allowable coupling distributions and corresponding moment accumulation rates on the two subduction zones by conducting a suite of inversions in which the total moment accumulation rate on a selected fault is fixed. In these constrained moment inversions we test the range of possible solutions that meet criteria for minimum, best-fit, and maximum coupling that still fit the data, based on reduced chi-squared calculations. In spite of the variable coupling, the total potential moment accumulation rate along each of the two subduction zones is estimated to range from 3.98 x 1019 to 2.24 x 1020 N-m yr-1, equivalent to a magnitude Mw 8.4 to 8.9 earthquake per 100 years.

The role of fault surface geometry in the evolution of the fault deformation zone: comparing modeling with field example from the Vignanotica normal fault (Gargano, Southern Italy).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maggi, Matteo; Cianfarra, Paola; Salvini, Francesco

2013-04-01

Faults have a (brittle) deformation zone that can be described as the presence of two distintive zones: an internal Fault core (FC) and an external Fault Damage Zone (FDZ). The FC is characterized by grinding processes that comminute the rock grains to a final grain-size distribution characterized by the prevalence of smaller grains over larger, represented by high fractal dimensions (up to 3.4). On the other hand, the FDZ is characterized by a network of fracture sets with characteristic attitudes (i.e. Riedel cleavages). This deformation pattern has important consequences on rock permeability. FC often represents hydraulic barriers, while FDZ, with its fracture connection, represents zones of higher permability. The observation of faults revealed that dimension and characteristics of FC and FDZ varies both in intensity and dimensions along them. One of the controlling factor in FC and FDZ development is the fault plane geometry. By changing its attitude, fault plane geometry locally alter the stress component produced by the fault kinematics and its combination with the bulk boundary conditions (regional stress field, fluid pressure, rocks rheology) is responsible for the development of zones of higher and lower fracture intensity with variable extension along the fault planes. Furthermore, the displacement along faults provides a cumulative deformation pattern that varies through time. The modeling of the fault evolution through time (4D modeling) is therefore required to fully describe the fracturing and therefore permeability. In this presentation we show a methodology developed to predict distribution of fracture intensity integrating seismic data and numerical modeling. Fault geometry is carefully reconstructed by interpolating stick lines from interpreted seismic sections converted to depth. The modeling is based on a mixed numerical/analytical method. Fault surface is discretized into cells with their geometric and rheological characteristics. For each cell, the acting stress and strength are computed by analytical laws (Coulomb failure). Total brittle deformation for each cell is then computed by cumulating the brittle failure values along the path of each cell belonging to one side onto the facing one. The brittle failure value is provided by the DF function, that is the difference between the computed shear and the strength of the cell at each step along its path by using the Frap in-house developed software. The width of the FC and the FDZ are computed as a function of the DF distribution and displacement around the fault. This methodology has been successfully applied to model the brittle deformation pattern of the Vignanotica normal fault (Gargano, Southern Italy) where fracture intensity is expressed by the dimensionless H/S ratio representing the ratio between the dimension and the spacing of homologous fracture sets (i.e., group of parallel fractures that can be ascribed to the same event/stage/stress field).

Characterizing the structural maturity of fault zones using high-resolution earthquake locations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perrin, C.; Waldhauser, F.; Scholz, C. H.

2017-12-01

We use high-resolution earthquake locations to characterize the three-dimensional structure of active faults in California and how it evolves with fault structural maturity. We investigate the distribution of aftershocks of several recent large earthquakes that occurred on immature faults (i.e., slow moving and small cumulative displacement), such as the 1992 (Mw7.3) Landers and 1999 (Mw7.1) Hector Mine events, and earthquakes that occurred on mature faults, such as the 1984 (Mw6.2) Morgan Hill and 2004 (Mw6.0) Parkfield events. Unlike previous studies which typically estimated the width of fault zones from the distribution of earthquakes perpendicular to the surface fault trace, we resolve fault zone widths with respect to the 3D fault surface estimated from principal component analysis of local seismicity. We find that the zone of brittle deformation around the fault core is narrower along mature faults compared to immature faults. We observe a rapid fall off of the number of events at a distance range of 70 - 100 m from the main fault surface of mature faults (140-200 m fault zone width), and 200-300 m from the fault surface of immature faults (400-600 m fault zone width). These observations are in good agreement with fault zone widths estimated from guided waves trapped in low velocity damage zones. The total width of the active zone of deformation surrounding the main fault plane reach 1.2 km and 2-4 km for mature and immature faults, respectively. The wider zone of deformation presumably reflects the increased heterogeneity in the stress field along complex and discontinuous faults strands that make up immature faults. In contrast, narrower deformation zones tend to align with well-defined fault planes of mature faults where most of the deformation is concentrated. Our results are in line with previous studies suggesting that surface fault traces become smoother, and thus fault zones simpler, as cumulative fault slip increases.

Extrapolating surface structures to depth in transpressional systems: the role of rheology and convergence angle deduced from analogue experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, Shang Yu; Neubauer, Franz; Cloetingh, Sierd; Willingshofer, Ernst; Sokoutis, Dimitrios

2014-05-01

The internal structure of major strike-slip faults is still poorly understood, particularly how the deep structure could be inferred from its surface expression (Molnar and Dayem, 2011 and references therein). Previous analogue experiments suggest that the convergence angle is the most influential factor (Leever et al., 2011). Further analogue modeling may allow a better understanding how to extrapolate surface structures to the subsurface geometry of strike-slip faults. Various scenarios of analogue experiments were designed to represent strike-slip faults in nature from different geological settings. As such key parameters, which are investigated in this study include: (a) the angle of convergence, (b) the thickness of brittle layer, (c) the influence of a rheological weak layer within the crust, and (d) influence of a thick and rheologically weak layer at the base of the crust. The latter aimed to simulate the effect of a hot metamorphic core complex or an alignment of uprising plutons bordered by a transtensional/transpressional strike-slip fault. The experiments are aimed to explain first order structures along major transcurrent strike-slip faults such as the Altyn, Kunlun, San Andrea and Greendale (Darfield earthquake 2010) faults. The preliminary results show that convergence angle significantly influences the overall geometry of the transpressive system with greater convergence angles resulting in wider fault zones and higher elevation. Different positions, densities and viscosities of weak rheological layers have not only different surface expressions but also affect the fault geometry in the subsurface. For instance, rheological weak material in the bottom layer results in stretching when experiment reaches a certain displacement and a buildup of a less segmented, wide positive flower structure. At the surface, a wide fault valley in the middle of the fault zone is the reflection of stretching along the velocity discontinuity at depth. In models with a thin and rheologically weaker layer in the middle of the brittle layer, deformation is distributed over more faults and the geometry of the fault zone below and above the weak zone shows significant differences, suggesting that the correlation of structures across a weak layer has to be supported by geophysical data, which help constraining the geometry of the deep part. This latter experiment has significantly similar phenomena in reality, such as few pressure ridges along Altyn fault. The experimental results underline the need to understand the role of the convergence angle and the influence of rheology on fault evolution, in order to connect between surface deformation and subsurface geometry. References Leever, K. A., Gabrielsen, R. H., Sokoutis, D., Willingshofer, E., 2011. The effect of convergence angle on the kinematic evolution of strain partitioning in transpressional brittle wedges: Insight from analog modeling and high-resolution digital image analysis. Tectonics, 30(2), TC2013. Molnar, P., Dayem, K.E., 2010. Major intracontinental strike-slip faults and contrasts in lithospheric strength. Geosphere, 6, 444-467.

San Andreas fault geometry at Desert Hot Springs, California, and its effects on earthquake hazards and groundwater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, R.D.; Rymer, M.J.; Goldman, M.R.; Gandhok, G.

2009-01-01

The Mission Creek and Banning faults are two of the principal strands of the San Andreas fault zone in the northern Coachella Valley of southern California. Structural characteristics of the faults affect both regional earthquake hazards and local groundwater resources. We use seismic, gravity, and geological data to characterize the San Andreas fault zone in the vicinity of Desert Hot Springs. Seismic images of the upper 500 m of the Mission Creek fault at Desert Hot Springs show multiple fault strands distributed over a 500 m wide zone, with concentrated faulting within a central 200 m wide area of the fault zone. High-velocity (up to 5000 m=sec) rocks on the northeast side of the fault are juxtaposed against a low-velocity (6.0) earthquakes in the area (in 1948 and 1986) occurred at or near the depths (~10 to 12 km) of the merged (San Andreas) fault. Large-magnitude earthquakes that nucleate at or below the merged fault will likely generate strong shaking from guided waves along both fault zones and from amplified seismic waves in the low-velocity basin between the two fault zones. The Mission Creek fault zone is a groundwater barrier with the top of the water table varying by 60 m in depth and the aquifer varying by about 50 m in thickness across a 200 m wide zone of concentrated faulting.

A broader classification of damage zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peacock, D. C. P.; Dimmen, V.; Rotevatn, A.; Sanderson, D. J.

2017-09-01

Damage zones have previously been classified in terms of their positions at fault tips, walls or areas of linkage, with the latter being described in terms of sub-parallel and synchronously active faults. We broaden the idea of linkage to include structures around the intersections of non-parallel and/or non-synchronous faults. These interaction damage zones can be divided into approaching damage zones, where the faults kinematically interact but are not physically connected, and intersection damage zones, where the faults either abut or cross-cut. The damage zone concept is applied to other settings in which strain or displacement variations are taken up by a range of structures, such as at fault bends. It is recommended that a prefix can be added to a wide range of damage zones, to describe the locations in which they formed, e.g., approaching, intersection and fault bend damage zone. Such interpretations are commonly based on limited knowledge of the 3D geometries of the structures, such as from exposure surfaces, and there may be spatial variations. For example, approaching faults and related damage seen in outcrop may be intersecting elsewhere on the fault planes. Dilation in intersection damage zones can represent narrow and localised channels for fluid flow, and such dilation can be influenced by post-faulting stress patterns.

Segmentation of the Calaveras-Hayward Fault System Based on 3-D Geometry and Geology at Large-Earthquake Depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graymer, R. W.; Simpson, R. W.; Jachens, R. C.; Ponce, D. A.; Phelps, G. A.; Watt, J. T.; Wentworth, C. M.

2007-12-01

For the purpose of estimating seismic hazard, the Calaveras and Hayward Faults have been considered as separate structures and analyzed and segmented based largely on their surface-trace geometry and the extent of the 1868 Hayward Fault earthquake. Recent relocations of earthquakes and 3-D geologic mapping have shown, however, that at depths associated with large earthquakes (>5 km) the fault geology and geometry is quite different than that at the surface. Using deep fault geometry inferred from these studies we treat the Hayward and Calaveras Faults as a single system and divide the system into segments that differ from the previously accepted segments as follows: 1. The Hayward Fault connects directly to the central Calaveras Fault at depth, as opposed to the 5 km wide restraining stepover zone of multiple imbricate oblique right-lateral reverse faults at the surface east of Fremont and San Jose (between about 37.25°-37.6°N). 2. The segment boundary between the Hayward, central Calaveras, and northern Calaveras is based on their Y- shaped intersection at depth near 37.40°N, 121.76°W (Cherry Flat Reservoir), about 8 km south of the previously accepted central-northern Calaveras Fault segment boundary. 3. The central Calaveras Fault is divided near 37.14°N, 121.56°W (southern end of Anderson Lake) into two subsegments based on a large discontinuity at depth seen in relocated seismicity. 4. The Hayward Fault is divided near 37.85°N, 122.23°W (Lake Temescal) into two segments based on a large contrast in fault face geology. This segmentation is similar to that based on the extent of 1868 fault rupture, but is now related to an underlying geologic cause. The direct connection of the Hayward and central Calaveras Faults at depth suggests that earthquakes larger than those previously modeled should be considered (~M6.9 for the southern Hayward, ~M7.2 for the southern Hayward plus northern central Calaveras). A NEHRP study by Witter and others (2003; NEHRP 03HQGR0098) suggested evidence for large surface ruptures on the northern central Calaveras, but that work is not peer-reviewed and there is little or no other paleoseismic or geodetic data from the stepover zone or northern central Calaveras Fault (all commonly cited data are from the southern central Calaveras Fault), so the sparse surface data neither demands nor precludes our interpretation. The additional segmentation of the central Calaveras Fault proposed here may explain the observation that this segment seems to generate characteristic moderate (~M6.0-6.5) earthquakes rather than the larger ~M6.9 earthquakes that could be generated by rupture of the previously defined longer central Calaveras segment. Better information regarding fault plane geometry and 3-D distribution of rock properties adjacent to the faults at seismogenic depths should help us revise proposed segmentation models of other faults for seismic hazard analyses.

Estimation of the depth of faulting in the northeast margin of Argyre basin (Mars) by structural analysis of lobate scarps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrero-Gil, Andrea; Ruiz, Javier; Egea-González, Isabel; Romeo, Ignacio

2017-04-01

Lobate scarps are tectonic structures considered as the topographic expression of thrust faults. For this study we have chosen three large lobate scarps (Ogygis Rupes, Bosporos Rupes and a third unnamed one) located in Aonia Terra, in the southern hemisphere of Mars near the northeast margin of the Argyre impact basin. These lobate scarps strike parallel to the edge of Thaumasia in this area, showing a roughly arcuate to linear form and an asymmetric cross section with a steeply frontal scarp and a gently dipping back scarp. The asymmetry in the cross sections suggests that the three lobate scarps were generated by ESE-vergent thrust faults. Two complementary methods were used to analyze the faults underlying these lobate scarps based on Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data and the Mars imagery available: (i) analyzing topographic profiles together with the horizontal shortening estimations from cross-cut craters to create balanced cross sections on the basis of thrust fault propagation folding [1]; (ii) using a forward mechanical dislocation method [2], which predicts fault geometry by comparing model outputs with real topography. The objective is to obtain fault geometry parameters as the minimum value for the horizontal offset, dip angle and depth of faulting of each underlying fault. By comparing the results obtained by both methods we estimate a preliminary depth of faulting value between 15 and 26 kilometers for this zone between Thaumasia and Argyre basin. The significant sizes of the faults underlying these three lobate scarps suggest that their detachments are located at a main rheological change. Estimates of the depth of faulting in similar lobate scarps on Mars or Mercury [3] have been associated to the depth of the brittle-ductile transition. [1] Suppe (1983), Am. J. Sci., 283, 648-721; Seeber and Sorlien (2000), Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 112, 1067-1079. [2] Toda et al. (1998) JGR, 103, 24543-24565. [3] i.e. Schultz and Watters (2001) Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 4659-4662; Ruiz et al. (2008) EPSL, 270, 1-12; Egea-Gonzalez et al. (2012) PSS, 60, 193-198; Mueller et al. (2014) EPSL, 408, 100-109.

The influence of a reverse-reactivated normal fault on natural fracture geometries and relative chronologies at Castle Cove, Otway Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debenham, Natalie; King, Rosalind C.; Holford, Simon P.

2018-07-01

Despite the ubiquity of normal faults that have undergone compressional inversion, documentation of the structural history of natural fractures around these structures is limited. In this paper, we investigate the geometries and relative chronologies of natural fractures adjacent to a reverse-reactivated normal fault, the Castle Cove Fault in the Otway Basin, southeast Australia. Local variations in strain resulted in greater deformation within the fault damage zone closer to the fault. Structural mapping within the damage zone reveals a complex tectonic history recording both regional and local perturbations in stress and a total of 11 fracture sets were identified, with three sets geometrically related to the Castle Cove Fault. The remaining fracture sets formed in response to local stresses at Castle Cove. Rifting in the late Cretaceous resulted in normal movement of the Castle Cove Fault and associated rollover folding, and the formation of the largest fracture set. Reverse-reactivation of the fault and associated anticlinal folding occurred during late Miocene to Pliocene compression. Rollover folding may have provided structural traps if seals were not breached by fractures, however anticlinal folding likely post-dated the main episodes of hydrocarbon generation and migration in the region. This study highlights the need to conduct careful reconstruction of the structural histories of fault zones that experienced complex reactivation histories when attempting to define off-fault fluid flow properties.

Mechanics of slip and fracture along small faults and simple strike-slip fault zones in granitic rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martel, Stephen J.; Pollard, David D.

1989-07-01

We exploit quasi-static fracture mechanics models for slip along pre-existing faults to account for the fracture structure observed along small exhumed faults and small segmented fault zones in the Mount Abbot quadrangle of California and to estimate stress drop and shear fracture energy from geological field measurements. Along small strike-slip faults, cracks that splay from the faults are common only near fault ends. In contrast, many cracks splay from the boundary faults at the edges of a simple fault zone. Except near segment ends, the cracks preferentially splay into a zone. We infer that shear displacement discontinuities (slip patches) along a small fault propagated to near the fault ends and caused fracturing there. Based on elastic stress analyses, we suggest that slip on one boundary fault triggered slip on the adjacent boundary fault, and that the subsequent interaction of the slip patches preferentially led to the generation of fractures that splayed into the zones away from segment ends and out of the zones near segment ends. We estimate the average stress drops for slip events along the fault zones as ˜1 MPa and the shear fracture energy release rate during slip as 5 × 102 - 2 × 104 J/m2. This estimate is similar to those obtained from shear fracture of laboratory samples, but orders of magnitude less than those for large fault zones. These results suggest that the shear fracture energy release rate increases as the structural complexity of fault zones increases.

Late Cenozoic structure and correlations to seismicity along the Olympic-Wallowa Lineament, northwest United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mann, G.M.; Meyer, C.E.

1993-01-01

Late Cenozoic fault geometry, structure, paleoseismicity, and patterns of recent seismicity at two seismic zones along the Olympic-Wallowa lineament (OWL) of western Idaho, northeast Oregon, and southeast Washington indicate limited right-oblique slip displacement along multiple northwest-striking faults that constitute the lineament. The southern end of the OWL originates in the Long Valley fault system and western Snake River Plain in western Idaho. The OWL in northeast Oregon consists of a wide zone of northwest-striking faults and is associated with several large, inferred, pull-apart basins. The OWL then emerges from the Blue Mountain uplift as a much narrower zone of faults in the Columbia Plateau known as the Wallula fault zone (WFZ). Stuctural relationships in the WFZ strongly suggest that it is a right-slip extensional duplex. -from Authors

Incremental Holocene slip rates from the Hope fault at Hossack Station, Marlborough fault zone, South Island, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatem, A. E.; Dolan, J. F.; Langridge, R.; Zinke, R. W.; McGuire, C. P.; Rhodes, E. J.; Van Dissen, R. J.

2015-12-01

The Marlborough fault system, which links the Alpine fault with the Hikurangi subduction zone within the complex Australian-Pacific plate boundary zone, partitions strain between the Wairau, Awatere, Clarence and Hope faults. Previous best estimates of dextral strike-slip along the Hope fault are ≤ ~23 mm/yr± 4 mm/year. Those rates, however, are poorly constrained and could be improved using better age determinations in conjunction with measurements of fault offsets using high-resolution imagery. In this study, we use airborne lidar- and field-based mapping together with the subsurface geometry of offset channels at the Hossack site 12 km ESE of Hanmer Springs to more precisely determine stream offsets that were previously identified by McMorran (1991). Specifically, we measured fault offsets of ~10m, ~75 m, and ~195m. Together with 65 radiocarbon ages on charcoal, peat, and wood and 25 pending post-IR50-IRSL225 luminescence ages from the channel deposits, these offsets yield three different fault slip rates for the early Holocene, the late Holocene, and the past ca. 500-1,000 years. Using the large number of age determinations, we document in detail the timing of initiation and abandonment of each channel, enhancing the geomorphic interpretation at the Hossack site as channels deform over many earthquake cycles. Our preliminary incremental slip rate results from the Hossack site may indicate temporally variable strain release along the Hope fault. This study is part of a broader effort aimed at determining incremental slip rates and paleo-earthquake ages and displacements from all four main Marlborough faults. Collectively, these data will allow us to determine how the four main Marlborough faults have work together during Holocene-late Pleistocene to accommodate plate-boundary deformation in time and space.

Near-surface location, geometry, and velocities of the Santa Monica Fault Zone, Los Angeles, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, R.D.; Gandhok, G.; Goldman, M.R.; Okaya, D.; Rymer, M.J.; Bawden, G.W.

2008-01-01

High-resolution seismic-reflection and seismic-refraction imaging, combined with existing borehole, earthquake, and paleoseismic trenching data, suggest that the Santa Monica fault zone in Los Angeles consists of multiple strands from several kilometers depth to the near surface. We interpret our seismic data as showing two shallow-depth low-angle fault strands and multiple near-vertical (???85??) faults in the upper 100 m. One of the low-angle faults dips northward at about 28?? and approaches the surface at the base of a topographic scarp on the grounds of the Wadsworth VA Hospital (WVAH). The other principal low-angle fault dips northward at about 20?? and projects toward the surface about 200 m south of the topographic scarp, near the northernmost areas of the Los Angeles Basin that experienced strong shaking during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The 20?? north-dipping low-angle fault is also apparent on a previously published seismic-reflection image by Pratt et al. (1998) and appears to extend northward to at least Wilshire Boulevard, where the fault may be about 450 m below the surface. Slip rates determined at the WVAH site could be significantly underestimated if it is assumed that slip occurs only on a single strand of the Santa Monica fault or if it is assumed that the near-surface faults dip at angles greater than 20-28??. At the WVAH, tomographic velocity modeling shows a significant decrease in velocity across near-surface strands of the Santa Monica fault. P-wave velocities range from about 500 m/sec at the surface to about 4500 m/sec within the upper 50 m on the north side of the fault zone at WVAH, but maximum measured velocities on the south side of the low-angle fault zone at WVAH are about 3500 m/sec. These refraction velocities compare favorably with velocities measured in nearby boreholes by Gibbs et al. (2000). This study illustrates the utility of com- bined seismic-reflection and seismic-refraction methods, which allow more accurate reflection imaging and compositional estimations across areas with highly variable velocities, a property that is characteristic of most fault zones.

Mountain front migration and drainage captures related to fault segment linkage and growth: The Polopos transpressive fault zone (southeastern Betics, SE Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giaconia, Flavio; Booth-Rea, Guillermo; Martínez-Martínez, José Miguel; Azañón, José Miguel; Pérez-Romero, Joaquín; Villegas, Irene

2013-01-01

The Polopos E-W- to ESE-WNW-oriented dextral-reverse fault zone is formed by the North Alhamilla reverse fault and the North and South Gafarillos dextral faults. It is a conjugate fault system of the sinistral NNE-SSW Palomares fault zone, active from the late most Tortonian (≈7 Ma) up to the late Pleistocene (≥70 ky) in the southeastern Betics. The helicoidal geometry of the fault zone permits to shift SE-directed movement along the South Cabrera reverse fault to NW-directed shortening along the North Alhamilla reverse fault via vertical Gafarillos fault segments, in between. Since the Messinian, fault activity migrated southwards forming the South Gafarillos fault and displacing the active fault-related mountain-front from the north to the south of Sierra de Polopos; whilst recent activity of the North Alhamilla reverse fault migrated westwards. The Polopos fault zone determined the differential uplift between the Sierra Alhamilla and the Tabernas-Sorbas basin promoting the middle Pleistocene capture that occurred in the southern margin of the Sorbas basin. Continued tectonic uplift of the Sierra Alhamilla-Polopos and Cabrera anticlinoria and local subsidence associated to the Palomares fault zone in the Vera basin promoted the headward erosion of the Aguas river drainage that captured the Sorbas basin during the late Pleistocene.

Characteristics of newly found Quaternary fault, southern Korea, and its tectonic implication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y.; Kim, M. C.; Cheon, Y.; Ha, S.; Kang, H. C.; Choi, J. H.; Son, M.

2017-12-01

This study introduces the detailed geometry and kinematics of recently found Quaternary fault in southern Korea, named Seooe Fault, and discusses its tectonic implication through a synthetic analysis with previous studies. The N-S striking Seooe Fault shows a top-to-the-east thrust geometry and cuts the Cretaceous Goseong Formation and overlying Quaternary deposits, and its slip senses and associated minor folds in the hanging wall indicate an E-W compressional stress. The age of the lower part of the Quaternary deposits obtained by OSL dating indicates that the last movement of the fault occurred after 61 60 ka. Arcuate geometry of the main fault showing an upward decreasing dip-angle, reverse offset of the fault breccias, and reverse-sense indicators observed on neighboring N-S striking high-angle fractures indicate that this Quaternary fault was produced by the reactivation of pre-existing fault under E-W compressional stress field. Using the apparent vertical displacement of the fault and the attitudes of cutting slope and main fault surface, its minimum net displacement is calculated as 2.17 m. When the value is applied to the empirical equation of maximum displacement - moment earthquake magnitude (Mw), the magnitude is estimated to reach about 6.7, assuming that this displacement was due to one seismic event. Most of the Quaternary faults in southern Korea are observed along major inherited fault zones, and their geometry and kinematics indicate that they were reactivated under ENE-WSW or E-W compressional stress field, which is concordant with the characteristics of the Seooe Fault. In addition, focal mechanism solutions and geotechnical in-situ stress data in and around the Korean peninsula also support the current ENE-WSW or E-W regional compression. On the basis of the regional stress trajectories in and around East Asia, the current stress field in Korean peninsula is interpreted to have resulted from the cooperation of westward shallow subduction of the Pacific Plate and collision of Indian and Eurasian continents, whereas the Philippine Sea plate doesn't contribute to the crustal contraction due to its high-angle subduction that results in the crustal extension of back-arc region.

Fault rock mineralogy and fluid flow in the Coso Geothermal Field, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davatzes, N. C.; Hickman, S. H.

2005-12-01

The minerals that comprise fault rock, their grain shapes, and packing geometry are important controls on fault zone properties such as permeability, frictional strength, and slip behavior. In this study we examine the role of mineralogy and deformation microstructures on fluid flow in a fault-hosted, fracture-dominated geothermal system contained in granitic rocks in the Coso Geothermal Field, CA. Initial examination of the mineralogy and microstructure of fault rock obtained from core and surface outcrops reveals three fault rock types. (1) Fault rock consisting of kaolinite and amorphous silica that contains large connected pores, dilatant brittle fractures, and dissolution textures. (2) Fault rock consisting of foliated layers of chlorite and illite-smectite separated by slip surfaces. (3) Fault rock consisting of poorly sorted angular grains, characterized by large variations in grain packing (pore size), and crack-seal textures. These different fault rocks are respectively associated with a high permeability upper boiling zone for the geothermal system, a conductively heated "caprock" at moderate to shallow depth associated with low permeability, and a deeper convectively heated region associated with enhanced permeability. Outcrop and hand-sample scale mapping, XRD analysis, and SEM secondary electron images of fault gouge and slip surfaces at different stages of development (estimated shear strain) are used to investigate the processes responsible for the development and physical properties of these distinct fault rocks. In each type of fault rock, mineral dissolution and re-precipitation in conjunction with the amount and geometry of porosity changes induced by dilation or compaction are the key controls on fault rock development. In addition, at the contacts between slip surfaces, abrasion and resulting comminution appear to influence grain size, sorting, and packing. Macroscopically, we expect the frictional strength of these characteristic fault rocks to differ because the processes that accommodate deformation depend strongly on mineralogy. Frictional strength of quartz-dominated fault rocks in the near surface and in the reservoir should be greater (~0.6) than that in the clay-dominated cap rock (~0.2-0.4). Similarly, permeability should be much lower in foliated clay-rich fault rocks than in quartz-rich fault rocks as evidenced by larger, more connected pores imaged in quartz-rich gouge. Mineral stability is a function of loading, strain rate, temperature, and fluid flow conditions. Which minerals form, and the rates at which they grow is also a key element in determining variations in the magnitude and anisotropy of fault zone properties at Coso. Consequently, we suggest that the development of fault-zone properties depends on the feedback between deformation, resulting changes in permeability, and large-scale fluid flow and the leading to dissolution/precipitation of minerals in the fault rock and adjacent host rock. The implication for Coso is that chemical alteration of otherwise low-porosity crystalline rocks appears to determine the distribution and temporal evolution of permeability in the actively deforming fracture network at small to moderate scales as well as along major, reservoir-penetrating fault zones.

The geometry of pull-apart basins in the southern part of Sumatran strike-slip fault zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aribowo, Sonny

2018-02-01

Models of pull-apart basin geometry have been described by many previous studies in a variety tectonic setting. 2D geometry of Ranau Lake represents a pull-apart basin in the Sumatran Fault Zone. However, there are unclear geomorphic traces of two sub-parallel overlapping strike-slip faults in the boundary of the lake. Nonetheless, clear geomorphic traces that parallel to Kumering Segment of the Sumatran Fault are considered as inactive faults in the southern side of the lake. I demonstrate the angular characteristics of the Ranau Lake and Suoh complex pull-apart basins and compare with pull-apart basin examples from published studies. I use digital elevation model (DEM) image to sketch the shape of the depression of Ranau Lake and Suoh Valley and measure 2D geometry of pull-apart basins. This study shows that Ranau Lake is not a pull-apart basin, and the pull-apart basin is actually located in the eastern side of the lake. Since there is a clear connection between pull-apart basin and volcanic activity in Sumatra, I also predict that the unclear trace of the pull-apart basin near Ranau Lake may be covered by Ranau Caldera and Seminung volcanic products.

Fault zone structure and fluid-rock interaction of a high angle normal fault in Carrara marble (NW Tuscany, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molli, G.; Cortecci, G.; Vaselli, L.; Ottria, G.; Cortopassi, A.; Dinelli, E.; Mussi, M.; Barbieri, M.

2010-09-01

We studied the geometry, intensity of deformation and fluid-rock interaction of a high angle normal fault within Carrara marble in the Alpi Apuane NW Tuscany, Italy. The fault is comprised of a core bounded by two major, non-parallel slip surfaces. The fault core, marked by crush breccia and cataclasites, asymmetrically grades to the host protolith through a damage zone, which is well developed only in the footwall block. On the contrary, the transition from the fault core to the hangingwall protolith is sharply defined by the upper main slip surface. Faulting was associated with fluid-rock interaction, as evidenced by kinematically related veins observable in the damage zone and fluid channelling within the fault core, where an orange-brownish cataclasite matrix can be observed. A chemical and isotopic study of veins and different structural elements of the fault zone (protolith, damage zone and fault core), including a mathematical model, was performed to document type, role, and activity of fluid-rock interactions during deformation. The results of our studies suggested that deformation pattern was mainly controlled by processes associated with a linking-damage zone at a fault tip, development of a fault core, localization and channelling of fluids within the fault zone. Syn-kinematic microstructural modification of calcite microfabric possibly played a role in confining fluid percolation.

3D Dynamic Rupture Simulations along Dipping Faults, with a focus on the Wasatch Fault Zone, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Withers, K.; Moschetti, M. P.

2017-12-01

We study dynamic rupture and ground motion from dip-slip faults in regions that have high-seismic hazard, such as the Wasatch fault zone, Utah. Previous numerical simulations have modeled deterministic ground motion along segments of this fault in the heavily populated regions near Salt Lake City but were restricted to low frequencies ( 1 Hz). We seek to better understand the rupture process and assess broadband ground motions and variability from the Wasatch Fault Zone by extending deterministic ground motion prediction to higher frequencies (up to 5 Hz). We perform simulations along a dipping normal fault (40 x 20 km along strike and width, respectively) with characteristics derived from geologic observations to generate a suite of ruptures > Mw 6.5. This approach utilizes dynamic simulations (fully physics-based models, where the initial stress drop and friction law are imposed) using a summation by parts (SBP) method. The simulations include rough-fault topography following a self-similar fractal distribution (over length scales from 100 m to the size of the fault) in addition to off-fault plasticity. Energy losses from heat and other mechanisms, modeled as anelastic attenuation, are also included, as well as free-surface topography, which can significantly affect ground motion patterns. We compare the effect of material structure and both rate and state and slip-weakening friction laws have on rupture propagation. The simulations show reduced slip and moment release in the near surface with the inclusion of plasticity, better agreeing with observations of shallow slip deficit. Long-wavelength fault geometry imparts a non-uniform stress distribution along both dip and strike, influencing the preferred rupture direction and hypocenter location, potentially important for seismic hazard estimation.

Subsurface geometry of the San Andreas-Calaveras fault junction: influence of serpentinite and the Coast Range Ophiolite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watt, Janet Tilden; Ponce, David A.; Graymer, Russell W.; Jachens, Robert C.; Simpson, Robert W.

2014-01-01

While an enormous amount of research has been focused on trying to understand the geologic history and neotectonics of the San Andreas-Calaveras fault (SAF-CF) junction, fundamental questions concerning fault geometry and mechanisms for slip transfer through the junction remain. We use potential-field, geologic, geodetic, and seismicity data to investigate the 3-D geologic framework of the SAF-CF junction and identify potential slip-transferring structures within the junction. Geophysical evidence suggests that the San Andreas and Calaveras fault zones dip away from each other within the northern portion of the junction, bounding a triangular-shaped wedge of crust in cross section. This wedge changes shape to the south as fault geometries change and fault activity shifts between fault strands, particularly along the Calaveras fault zone (CFZ). Potential-field modeling and relocated seismicity suggest that the Paicines and San Benito strands of the CFZ dip 65° to 70° NE and form the southwest boundary of a folded 1 to 3 km thick tabular body of Coast Range Ophiolite (CRO) within the Vallecitos syncline. We identify and characterize two steeply dipping, seismically active cross structures within the junction that are associated with serpentinite in the subsurface. The architecture of the SAF-CF junction presented in this study may help explain fault-normal motions currently observed in geodetic data and help constrain the seismic hazard. The abundance of serpentinite and related CRO in the subsurface is a significant discovery that not only helps constrain the geometry of structures but may also help explain fault behavior and the tectonic evolution of the SAF-CF junction.

Coulomb Stress Accumulation along the San Andreas Fault System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Bridget; Sandwell, David

2003-01-01

Stress accumulation rates along the primary segments of the San Andreas Fault system are computed using a three-dimensional (3-D) elastic half-space model with realistic fault geometry. The model is developed in the Fourier domain by solving for the response of an elastic half-space due to a point vector body force and analytically integrating the force from a locking depth to infinite depth. This approach is then applied to the San Andreas Fault system using published slip rates along 18 major fault strands of the fault zone. GPS-derived horizontal velocity measurements spanning the entire 1700 x 200 km region are then used to solve for apparent locking depth along each primary fault segment. This simple model fits remarkably well (2.43 mm/yr RMS misfit), although some discrepancies occur in the Eastern California Shear Zone. The model also predicts vertical uplift and subsidence rates that are in agreement with independent geologic and geodetic estimates. In addition, shear and normal stresses along the major fault strands are used to compute Coulomb stress accumulation rate. As a result, we find earthquake recurrence intervals along the San Andreas Fault system to be inversely proportional to Coulomb stress accumulation rate, in agreement with typical coseismic stress drops of 1 - 10 MPa. This 3-D deformation model can ultimately be extended to include both time-dependent forcing and viscoelastic response.

The 2006-2007 Kuril Islands great earthquake sequence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lay, T.; Kanamori, H.; Ammon, C.J.; Hutko, Alexander R.; Furlong, K.; Rivera, L.

2009-01-01

The southwestern half of a ???500 km long seismic gap in the central Kuril Island arc subduction zone experienced two great earthquakes with extensive preshock and aftershock sequences in late 2006 to early 2007. The nature of seismic coupling in the gap had been uncertain due to the limited historical record of prior large events and the presence of distinctive upper plate, trench and outer rise structures relative to adjacent regions along the arc that have experienced repeated great interplate earthquakes in the last few centuries. The intraplate region seaward of the seismic gap had several shallow compressional events during the preceding decades (notably an MS 7.2 event on 16 March 1963), leading to speculation that the interplate fault was seismically coupled. This issue was partly resolved by failure of the shallow portion of the interplate megathrust in an MW = 8.3 thrust event on 15 November 2006. This event ruptured ???250 km along the seismic gap, just northeast of the great 1963 Kuril Island (Mw = 8.5) earthquake rupture zone. Within minutes of the thrust event, intense earthquake activity commenced beneath the outer wall of the trench seaward of the interplate rupture, with the larger events having normal-faulting mechanisms. An unusual double band of interplate and intraplate aftershocks developed. On 13 January 2007, an MW = 8.1 extensional earthquake ruptured within the Pacific plate beneath the seaward edge of the Kuril trench. This event is the third largest normal-faulting earthquake seaward of a subduction zone on record, and its rupture zone extended to at least 33 km depth and paralleled most of the length of the 2006 rupture. The 13 January 2007 event produced stronger shaking in Japan than the larger thrust event, as a consequence of higher short-period energy radiation from the source. The great event aftershock sequences were dominated by the expected faulting geometries; thrust faulting for the 2006 rupture zone, and normal faulting for the 2007 rupture zone. A large intraplate compressional event occurred on 15 January 2009 (Mw = 7.4) near 45 km depth, below the rupture zone of the 2007 event and in the vicinity of the 16 March 1963 compressional event. The fault geometry, rupture process and slip distributions of the two great events are estimated using very broadband teleseismic body and surface wave observations. The occurrence of the thrust event in the shallowest portion of the interplate fault in a region with a paucity of large thrust events at greater depths suggests that the event removed most of the slip deficit on this portion of the interplate fault. This great earthquake doublet demonstrates the heightened seismic hazard posed by induced intraplate faulting following large interplate thrust events. Future seismic failure of the remainder of the seismic gap appears viable, with the northeastern region that has also experienced compressional activity seaward of the megathrust warranting particular attention. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Paleoseismic evidence for late Holocene tectonic deformation along the Saddle mountain fault zone, Southeastern Olympic Peninsula, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnett, Elizabeth; Sherrod, Brian; Hughes, Jonathan F.; Kelsey, Harvey M.; Czajkowski, Jessica L.; Walsh, Timothy J.; Contreras, Trevor A.; Schermer, Elizabeth R.; Carson, Robert J.

2015-01-01

Trench and wetland coring studies show that northeast‐striking strands of the Saddle Mountain fault zone ruptured the ground about 1000 years ago, generating prominent scarps. Three conspicuous subparallel fault scarps can be traced for 15 km on Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) imagery, traversing the foothills of the southeast Olympic Mountains: the Saddle Mountain east fault, the Saddle Mountain west fault, and the newly identified Sund Creek fault. Uplift of the Saddle Mountain east fault scarp impounded stream flow, forming Price Lake and submerging an existing forest, thereby leaving drowned stumps still rooted in place. Stratigraphy mapped in two trenches, one across the Saddle Mountain east fault and the other across the Sund Creek fault, records one and two earthquakes, respectively, as faulting juxtaposed Miocene‐age bedrock against glacial and postglacial deposits. Although the stratigraphy demonstrates that reverse motion generated the scarps, slip indicators measured on fault surfaces suggest a component of left‐lateral slip. From trench exposures, we estimate the postglacial slip rate to be 0.2  mm/yr and between 0.7 and 3.2  mm/yr during the past 3000 years. Integrating radiocarbon data from this study with earlier Saddle Mountain fault studies into an OxCal Bayesian statistical chronology model constrains the most recent paleoearthquake age of rupture across all three Saddle Mountain faults to 1170–970 calibrated years (cal B.P.), which overlaps with the nearby Mw 7.5 1050–1020 cal B.P. Seattle fault earthquake. An earlier earthquake recorded in the Sund Creek trench exposure, dates to around 3500 cal B.P. The geometry of the Saddle Mountain faults and their near‐synchronous rupture to nearby faults 1000 years ago suggest that the Saddle Mountain fault zone forms a western boundary fault along which the fore‐arc blocks migrate northward in response to margin‐parallel shortening across the Puget Lowland.

Estimation of internal friction angle of subduction zone in northeast of Japan by using seismic focal mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyakawa, A.; Sato, K.; Otsubo, M.

2017-12-01

Physical properties, such as friction angle of the material, is important to understand the interplate earthquake of a subduction zone. Coulomb wedge model (Davis et al., 1983, JGR) is successfully revealed the relationship between a geometry of an accretionary wedge in a subduction zone and the physical properties of the material composing the accretionary wedge (e.g. Dahlen, 1984, JGR). An internal friction angle of the wedge and the frictional strength of the plate boundary fault control the wedge angle according to the Coulomb wedge model. However, the internal friction angle of the wedge and the frictional strength of the plate boundary fault are hard to estimate. Many previous works assumed the internal friction angle of the wedge on the basis of the laboratory experiments. Then, the frictional strength of the plate boundary fault, which is usually most interested, were evaluated from the observed wedge angle and the assumed internal friction angle of the wedge. Consequently, we should be careful of the selection of the internal friction angle of the wedge, otherwise, the uncertain an inappropriate internal friction angle may mislead the frictional strength of the plate boundary fault. In this study, we employed the newly developed technique to evaluate the internal friction angle of the wedge from the earthquake focal mechanisms occurred in the wedge along Japan Trench, northeast Japan. We used 650 earthquake mechanisms determined by NIED, Japan for the stress and friction coefficient inversion. The stress and friction coefficient inversion method is modified to handle the earthquake focal mechanisms from a computerized method to estimate the friction coefficient from the orientation distribution of faults (Sato, 2016, JSG). Finally, we obtained 25 degrees of internal friction angle of the wedge from the inversion. This value of friction angle is lower than usually assumed internal friction angle (30 degrees) (Byerlee, 1978, PAGEOPH). This lower internal friction angle leads to lower frictional strength of plate boundary fault ( 0.35) according to the Coulomb wedge model. These constrained physical parameters can contribute to understanding the interplate earthquake at each subduction zones.

Along strike behavior of the Tizi n' Firest fault during the Lower Jurassic rifting (Central High Atlas Carbonate basin, Morocco)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarih, S.; Quiquerez, A.; Allemand, P.; Garcia, J. P.; El Hariri, K.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study is to document the along-strike early syn-rift history of the Lower Jurassic Carbonate basin of the Central High Atlas (Morocco) by combining sedimentological observations and high-resolution biostratigraphy. Six sections, each from the Sinemurian to the Upper Pliensbachian, were investigated along a 75 km-long transect at the hanging wall of a major fault of the Lower Jurassic Basin (i.e. the Tizi n' Firest fault). Depositional geometries of the early syn-rift deposits were reconstructed from the correlation between eight main timelines dated by biochronological markers for a time span covering about 6 Ma. Depocentre migration was examined and accommodation rates were calculated at the sub-zone timescale to discuss the along-strike-fault behavior of the Lower Jurassic basin formation. The early stages of extension are marked by contrasted along-strike variations in depositional geometry thickness, depocentre migration and accommodation rates, leading to the growth of three independent sub-basins (i.e. western, central, and eastern), ranging in size from 30 to 50 km, and displaying three contrasted tectono-sedimentary histories. Our results suggest that, during the early rifting phase, tectonic activity was not a continuous and progressive process evolving towards a rift climax stage, but rather a series of acceleration periods that alternated with periods of much reduced activity. The length of active fault segments is estimated at about 15-20 km, with a lifespan of a few ammonite sub-zones (> 2-3 Ma).

Updating the USGS seismic hazard maps for Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Charles; Briggs, Richard; Wesson, Robert L.; Petersen, Mark D.

2015-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey makes probabilistic seismic hazard maps and engineering design maps for building codes, emergency planning, risk management, and many other applications. The methodology considers all known earthquake sources with their associated magnitude and rate distributions. Specific faults can be modeled if slip-rate or recurrence information is available. Otherwise, areal sources are developed from earthquake catalogs or GPS data. Sources are combined with ground-motion estimates to compute the hazard. The current maps for Alaska were developed in 2007, and included modeled sources for the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust, a few crustal faults, and areal seismicity sources. The megathrust was modeled as a segmented dipping plane with segmentation largely derived from the slip patches of past earthquakes. Some megathrust deformation is aseismic, so recurrence was estimated from seismic history rather than plate rates. Crustal faults included the Fairweather-Queen Charlotte system, the Denali–Totschunda system, the Castle Mountain fault, two faults on Kodiak Island, and the Transition fault, with recurrence estimated from geologic data. Areal seismicity sources were developed for Benioff-zone earthquakes and for crustal earthquakes not associated with modeled faults. We review the current state of knowledge in Alaska from a seismic-hazard perspective, in anticipation of future updates of the maps. Updated source models will consider revised seismicity catalogs, new information on crustal faults, new GPS data, and new thinking on megathrust recurrence, segmentation, and geometry. Revised ground-motion models will provide up-to-date shaking estimates for crustal earthquakes and subduction earthquakes in Alaska.

Planar seismic source characterization models developed for probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of Istanbul

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gülerce, Zeynep; Buğra Soyman, Kadir; Güner, Barış; Kaymakci, Nuretdin

2017-12-01

This contribution provides an updated planar seismic source characterization (SSC) model to be used in the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) for Istanbul. It defines planar rupture systems for the four main segments of the North Anatolian fault zone (NAFZ) that are critical for the PSHA of Istanbul: segments covering the rupture zones of the 1999 Kocaeli and Düzce earthquakes, central Marmara, and Ganos/Saros segments. In each rupture system, the source geometry is defined in terms of fault length, fault width, fault plane attitude, and segmentation points. Activity rates and the magnitude recurrence models for each rupture system are established by considering geological and geodetic constraints and are tested based on the observed seismicity that is associated with the rupture system. Uncertainty in the SSC model parameters (e.g., b value, maximum magnitude, slip rate, weights of the rupture scenarios) is considered, whereas the uncertainty in the fault geometry is not included in the logic tree. To acknowledge the effect of earthquakes that are not associated with the defined rupture systems on the hazard, a background zone is introduced and the seismicity rates in the background zone are calculated using smoothed-seismicity approach. The state-of-the-art SSC model presented here is the first fully documented and ready-to-use fault-based SSC model developed for the PSHA of Istanbul.

Geophysical study of the Ota-VF Xira-Lisbon-Sesimbra fault zone and the lower Tagus Cenozoic basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, João; Rabeh, Taha; Bielik, Miroslav; Szalaiová, Eva; Torres, Luís; Silva, Marisa; Carrilho, Fernando; Matias, Luís; Miranda, Jorge Miguel

2011-09-01

This paper focuses on the interpretation of seismic reflection, gravimetric, topographic, deep seismic refraction and seismicity data to study the recently proposed Ota-Vila Franca de Xira-Lisbon-Sesimbra (OVLS) fault zone and the lower Tagus Cenozoic basin (LTCB). The studied structure is located in the lower Tagus valley (LTV), an area with over 2 million inhabitants that has experienced historical earthquakes which caused significant damage and economical losses (1344, 1531 and 1909 earthquakes) and whose tectonic sources are thought to be local but mostly remain unknown. This study, which is intended as a contribution to improve the seismic hazard of the area and the neotectonics of the region, shows that the above-proposed fault zone is probably a large crustal thrust fault that constitutes the western limit of the LTCB. Gravimetric, deep refraction and seismic reflection data suggest that the LTCB is a foreland basin, as suggested previously by some authors, and that the OVLS northern and central sectors act as the major thrusts. The southern sector fault has been dominated by strike-slip kinematics due to a different orientation to the stress field. Indeed, geological outcrop and seismic reflection data interpretation suggests that, based on fault geometry and type of deformation at depth, the structure is composed of three major segments. These data suggest that these segments have different kinematics in agreement with their orientation to the regional stress field. The OVLS apparently controls the distribution of the seismicity in the area. Geological and geophysical information previously gathered also points that the central segment is active into the Quaternary. The segment lengths vary between 20 and 45 km. Since faults usually rupture only by segments, maximum expectable earthquake magnitudes and other parameters have been calculated for the three sectors of the OVLS fault zone using empirical relationships between earthquake statistics and geological parameters available from the literature. Calculated slip rates are compatible with previous estimates for the area (0.33 mm yr-1). A more accurate estimation of the OVLS throw in the Quaternary sediments is therefore of vital importance for a more accurate evaluation of the seismic hazard of the area.

Geomorphology of intraplate postglacial faults in Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ask, M. V. S.; Abdujabbar, M.; Lund, B.; Smith, C.; Mikko, H.; Munier, R.

2015-12-01

Melting of the Weichselian ice sheet at ≈10 000 BP is inferred to have induced large to great intraplate earthquakes in northern Fennoscandia. Over a dozen large so-called postglacial faults (PGF) have been found, mainly using aerial photogrammetry, trenching, and recognition of numerous paleolandslides in the vicinity of the faults (e.g. Lagerbäck & Sundh 2008). Recent LiDAR-based mapping led to the extension of known PGFs, the discovery of new segments of existing PGFs, and a number of new suspected PGFs (Smith et al. 2014; Mikko et al. 2015). The PGFs in Fennoscandia occur within 14-25°E and 61-69°N; the majority are within Swedish territory. PGFs generally are prominent features, up to 155 km in length and 30 m maximum surface offset. The most intense microseismic activity in Sweden occurs near PGFs. The seismogenic zone of the longest known PGF (Pärvie fault zone, PFZ) extends to ≈40 km depth. From fault geometry and earthquake scaling relations, the paleomagnitude of PFZ is estimated to 8.0±0.3 (Lindblom et al. 2015). The new high-resolution LiDAR-derived elevation model of Sweden offers an unprecedented opportunity to constrain the surface geometry of the PGFs. The objective is to reach more detailed knowledge of the surface offset across their scarps. This distribution provides a one-dimensional view of the slip distribution during the inferred paleorupture. The second objective is to analyze the pattern of vertical displacement of the hanging wall, to obtain a two-dimensional view of the displaced area that is linked to the fault geometry at depth. The anticipated results will further constrain the paleomagnitude of PGFs and will be incorporated into future modeling efforts to investigate the nature of PGFs. ReferencesLagerbäck & Sundh 2008. Early Holocene faulting and paleoseismicity in northern Sweden. http://resource.sgu.se/produkter/c/c836-rapport.pdf Smith et al. 2014. Surficial geology indicates early Holocene faulting and seismicity, central Sweden. doi: 10.1007/s00531-014-1025-6 Mikko et al. 2015. LiDAR-derived inventory of post-glacial fault scarps in Sweden. doi:10.1080/11035897.2015.1036360 Lindblom et al. 2015. Microearthquakes illuminate the deep structure of the endglacial Pärvie fault, northern Sweden. doi: 10.1093/gji/ggv112

3D fault curvature and fractal roughness: Insights for rupture dynamics and ground motions using a Discontinous Galerkin method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, Thomas; Gabriel, Alice-Agnes

2017-04-01

Natural fault geometries are subject to a large degree of uncertainty. Their geometrical structure is not directly observable and may only be inferred from surface traces, or geophysical measurements. Most studies aiming at assessing the potential seismic hazard of natural faults rely on idealised shaped models, based on observable large-scale features. Yet, real faults are wavy at all scales, their geometric features presenting similar statistical properties from the micro to the regional scale. Dynamic rupture simulations aim to capture the observed complexity of earthquake sources and ground-motions. From a numerical point of view, incorporating rough faults in such simulations is challenging - it requires optimised codes able to run efficiently on high-performance computers and simultaneously handle complex geometries. Physics-based rupture dynamics hosted by rough faults appear to be much closer to source models inverted from observation in terms of complexity. Moreover, the simulated ground-motions present many similarities with observed ground-motions records. Thus, such simulations may foster our understanding of earthquake source processes, and help deriving more accurate seismic hazard estimates. In this presentation, the software package SeisSol (www.seissol.org), based on an ADER-Discontinuous Galerkin scheme, is used to solve the spontaneous dynamic earthquake rupture problem. The usage of tetrahedral unstructured meshes naturally allows for complicated fault geometries. However, SeisSol's high-order discretisation in time and space is not particularly suited for small-scale fault roughness. We will demonstrate modelling conditions under which SeisSol resolves rupture dynamics on rough faults accurately. The strong impact of the geometric gradient of the fault surface on the rupture process is then shown in 3D simulations. Following, the benefits of explicitly modelling fault curvature and roughness, in distinction to prescribing heterogeneous initial stress conditions on a planar fault, is demonstrated. Furthermore, we show that rupture extend, rupture front coherency and rupture speed are highly dependent on the initial amplitude of stress acting on the fault, defined by the normalized prestress factor R, the ratio of the potential stress drop over the breakdown stress drop. The effects of fault complexity are particularly pronounced for lower R. By low-pass filtering a rough fault at several cut-off wavelengths, we then try to capture rupture complexity using a simplified fault geometry. We find that equivalent source dynamics can only be obtained using a scarcely filtered fault associated with a reduced stress level. To investigate the wavelength-dependent roughness effect, the fault geometry is bandpass-filtered over several spectral ranges. We show that geometric fluctuations cause rupture velocity fluctuations of similar length scale. The impact of fault geometry is especially pronounced when the rupture front velocity is near supershear. Roughness fluctuations significantly smaller than the rupture front characteristic dimension (cohesive zone size) affect only macroscopic rupture properties, thus, posing a minimum length scale limiting the required resolution of 3D fault complexity. Lastly, the effect of fault curvature and roughness on the simulated ground-motions is assessed. Despite employing a simple linear slip weakening friction law, the simulated ground-motions compare well with estimates from ground motions prediction equations, even at relatively high frequencies.

Three-Dimensional Mantle Flow Near an Oceanic Paleotransform Fault System: Geological Constraints From the Bogota Peninsula, New Caledonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzaras, V.; Kruckenberg, S. C.; Titus, S.; Tikoff, B.; Teyssier, C. P.; Drury, M. R.

2016-12-01

We provide geological constraints on mantle deformation across a system of two oceanic paleotransform faults exposed in the Bogota Peninsula area, New Caledonia. Mantle deformation occurred at depths corresponding to temperatures of 900 oC and is highly heterogeneous. The paleotransform faults consist of mylonitic shear zones ( 1 km wide), and are surrounded by broader areas in which rotation of both the shape fabric (foliation and lineation) and olivine crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) takes place. Outside the plaeotransform faults, mantle flows oblique to the strike of the mylonitic zones and is characterized by lateral variations in the flow direction. To further constrain the kinematics and type of deformation, we determine the orientation of the crystallographic vorticity axes as an independent tool for constraining deformation geometry (e.g., simple shear, transpression, transtension). The observed mantle flow is associated to lateral variations in: 1) the geometry and degree of anisotropy of spinel shape fabric; 2) olivine CPO type; 3) amount of stretching; and 4) the orientation of the crystallographic vorticity axes. Upper mantle in the vicinity of oceanic transform faults may be characterized by complex, three-dimensional flow patterns and deformation geometries deviating from simple shear.

Strong ground motion prediction applying dynamic rupture simulations for Beppu-Haneyama Active Fault Zone, southwestern Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshimi, M.; Matsushima, S.; Ando, R.; Miyake, H.; Imanishi, K.; Hayashida, T.; Takenaka, H.; Suzuki, H.; Matsuyama, H.

2017-12-01

We conducted strong ground motion prediction for the active Beppu-Haneyama Fault zone (BHFZ), Kyushu island, southwestern Japan. Since the BHFZ runs through Oita and Beppy cities, strong ground motion as well as fault displacement may affect much to the cities.We constructed a 3-dimensional velocity structure of a sedimentary basin, Beppu bay basin, where the fault zone runs through and Oita and Beppu cities are located. Minimum shear wave velocity of the 3d model is 500 m/s. Additional 1-d structure is modeled for sites with softer sediment: holocene plain area. We observed, collected, and compiled data obtained from microtremor surveys, ground motion observations, boreholes etc. phase velocity and H/V ratio. Finer structure of the Oita Plain is modeled, as 250m-mesh model, with empirical relation among N-value, lithology, depth and Vs, using borehole data, then validated with the phase velocity data obtained by the dense microtremor array observation (Yoshimi et al., 2016).Synthetic ground motion has been calculated with a hybrid technique composed of a stochastic Green's function method (for HF wave), a 3D finite difference (LF wave) and 1D amplification calculation. Fault geometry has been determined based on reflection surveys and active fault map. The rake angles are calculated with a dynamic rupture simulation considering three fault segments under a stress filed estimated from source mechanism of earthquakes around the faults (Ando et al., JpGU-AGU2017). Fault parameters such as the average stress drop, a size of asperity etc. are determined based on an empirical relation proposed by Irikura and Miyake (2001). As a result, strong ground motion stronger than 100 cm/s is predicted in the hanging wall side of the Oita plain.This work is supported by the Comprehensive Research on the Beppu-Haneyama Fault Zone funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), Japan.

Sedimentary record of relay zone evolution, Central Corinth Rift (Greece): Role of fault propagation and structural inheritance.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemelsdaël, Romain; Ford, Mary; Meyer, Nicolas

2013-04-01

Relay zones along rift border fault systems form topographic lows that are considered to allow the transfer of sediment from the footwall into hanging wall depocentres. Present knowledge focuses on the modifications of drainage patterns and sediment pathways across relay zones, however their vertical motion during growth and interaction of faults segments is not well documented. 3D models of fault growth and linkage are also under debate. The Corinth rift (Greece) is an ideal natural laboratory for the study of fault system evolution. Fault activity and rift depocentres migrated northward during Pliocene to Recent N-S extension. We report on the evolution of a relay zone in the currently active southern rift margin fault system from Pleistocene to present-day. The relay zone lies between the E-W East Helike (EHF) and Derveni faults (DF) that lie just offshore and around the town of Akrata. During its evolution the relay zone captured the antecedent Krathis river which continued to deposit Gilbert-type deltas across the relay zone during fault interaction, breaching and post linkage phases. Moreover our work underlines the role that pre-existing structure in the location of the transfer zone. Offshore fault geometry and kinematics, and sediment distribution were defined by interpretation and depth conversion of high resolution seismic profiles (from Maurice Ewing 2001 geophysical survey). Early lateral propagation of the EHF is recorded by synsedimentary fault propagation folds while the DF records tilted block geometries since initiation. Within the relay zone beds are gradually tilted toward the basin before breaching. These different styles of deformation highlight mechanical contrasts and upper crustal partition associated with the development of the Akrata relay zone. Onshore detailed lithostratigraphy, structure and geomorphological features record sedimentation across the subsiding relay ramp and subsequent footwall uplift after breaching. The area is characterised by the successive deposition of the northward prograding Platanos Gilbert-type delta (Middle group; deposited in hangingwall of the Pirgaki-Mamoussia fault) and the NE to E prograding Akrata Gilbert-type delta (Upper group). The Akrata Gilbert-type delta records progressive rotation and lengthening of the relay ramp as the East Helike fault and Derveni fault propagated laterally (from around 0.8 Ma) and started to overlap. The relay ramp was then breached by the Krathis fault (around 0.45 Ma) and the latter reactivated a NW-SE oriented inherited structure. Onshore-offshore correlation and profile restoration of the Upper group demonstrate the presence of this pre-existing structure (detachment fault?) below the Akrata relay zone that was responsible for significant eastward thickening in early rift sediments (Lower to Middle group). Our evolution model is consistent with the 'isolated fault' model where a fault array initially develops from growth of kinematically independent fault segments and fault displacement gradually accumulates during pre- and post-linkage stages. Despite the prominent control of pre-existing fabrics on the location of the transfer zone, lateral fault propagation and interaction can be well documented.

High-Resolution Fault Zone Monitoring and Imaging Using Long Borehole Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulsson, B. N.; Karrenbach, M.; Goertz, A. V.; Milligan, P.

2004-12-01

Long borehole seismic receiver arrays are increasingly used in the petroleum industry as a tool for high--resolution seismic reservoir characterization. Placing receivers in a borehole avoids the distortion of reflected seismic waves by the near-surface weathering layer which leads to greatly improved vector fidelity and a much higher frequency content of 3-component recordings. In addition, a borehole offers a favorable geometry to image near-vertically dipping or overturned structure such as, e.g., salt flanks or faults. When used for passive seismic monitoring, long borehole receiver arrays help reducing depth uncertainties of event locations. We investigate the use of long borehole seismic arrays for high-resolution fault zone characterization in the vicinity of the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD). We present modeling scenarios to show how an image of the vertically dipping fault zone down to the penetration point of the SAFOD well can be obtained by recording surface sources in a long array within the deviated main hole. We assess the ability to invert fault zone reflections for rock physical parameters by means of amplitude versus offset or angle (AVO/AVA) analyzes. The quality of AVO/AVA studies depends on the ability to illuminate the fault zone over a wide range of incidence angles. We show how the length of the receiver array and the receiver spacing within the borehole influence the size of the volume over which reliable AVO/AVA information could be obtained. By means of AVO/AVA studies one can deduce hydraulic properties of the fault zone such as the type of fluids that might be present, the porosity, and the fluid saturation. Images of the fault zone obtained from a favorable geometry with a sufficient illumination will enable us to map fault zone properties in the surrounding of the main hole penetration point. One of the targets of SAFOD is to drill into an active rupture patch of an earthquake cluster. The question of whether or not this goal has indeed been achieved at the time the fault zone is penetrated can only be answered if the rock properties found at the penetration point can be compared to the surrounding volume. This task will require mapping of rock properties inverted from AVO/AVA analyzes of fault zone reflections. We will also show real data examples of a test deployment of a 4000 ft, 80-level clamped 3-component receiver array in the SAFOD main hole in 2004.

On the use of faults and background seismicity in Seismic Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis (SPTHA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selva, Jacopo; Lorito, Stefano; Basili, Roberto; Tonini, Roberto; Tiberti, Mara Monica; Romano, Fabrizio; Perfetti, Paolo; Volpe, Manuela

2017-04-01

Most of the SPTHA studies and applications rely on several working assumptions: i) the - mostly offshore - tsunamigenic faults are sufficiently well known; ii) the subduction zone earthquakes dominate the hazard; iii) and their location and geometry is sufficiently well constrained. Hence, a probabilistic model is constructed as regards the magnitude-frequency distribution and sometimes the slip distribution of earthquakes occurring on assumed known faults. Then, tsunami scenarios are usually constructed for all earthquakes location, sizes, and slip distributions included in the probabilistic model, through deterministic numerical modelling of tsunami generation, propagation and impact on realistic bathymetries. Here, we adopt a different approach (Selva et al., GJI, 2016) that releases some of the above assumptions, considering that i) also non-subduction earthquakes may contribute significantly to SPTHA, depending on the local tectonic context; ii) that not all the offshore faults are known or sufficiently well constrained; iii) and that the faulting mechanism of future earthquakes cannot be considered strictly predictable. This approach uses as much as possible information from known faults which, depending on the amount of available information and on the local tectonic complexity, among other things, are either modelled as Predominant Seismicity (PS) or as Background Seismicity (BS). PS is used when it is possible to assume sufficiently known geometry and mechanism (e.g. for the main subduction zones). Conversely, within the BS approach information on faults is merged with that on past seismicity, dominant stress regime, and tectonic characterisation, to determine a probability density function for the faulting mechanism. To illustrate the methodology and its impact on the hazard estimates, we present an application in the NEAM region (Northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean and connected seas), initially designed during the ASTARTE project and now applied for the regional-scale SPTHA in the TSUMAPS-NEAM project funded by DG-ECHO.

The Architecture and Frictional Properties of Faults in Shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Paola, N.; Imber, J.; Murray, R.; Holdsworth, R.

2015-12-01

The geometry of brittle fault zones in shale rocks, as well as their frictional properties at reservoir conditions, are still poorly understood. Nevertheless, these factors may control the very low recovery factors (25% for gas and 5% for oil) obtained during fracking operations. Extensional brittle fault zones (maximum displacement < 3 m) cut exhumed oil mature black shales in the Cleveland Basin (UK). Fault cores up to 50 cm wide accommodated most of the displacement, and are defined by a stair-step geometry. Their internal architecture is characterised by four distinct fault rock domains: foliated gouges; breccias; hydraulic breccias; and a slip zone up to 20 mm thick, composed of a fine-grained black gouge. Hydraulic breccias are located within dilational jogs with aperture of up to 20 cm. Brittle fracturing and cataclastic flow are the dominant deformation mechanisms in the fault core of shale faults. Velocity-step and slide-hold-slide experiments at sub-seismic slip rates (microns/s) were performed in a rotary shear apparatus under dry, water and brine-saturated conditions, for displacements of up to 46 cm. Both the protolith shale and the slip zone black gouge display shear localization, velocity strengthening behaviour and negative healing rates, suggesting that slow, stable sliding faulting should occur within the protolith rocks and slip zone gouges. Experiments at seismic speed (1.3 m/s), performed on the same materials under dry conditions, show that after initial friction values of 0.5-0.55, friction decreases to steady-state values of 0.1-0.15 within the first 10 mm of slip. Contrastingly, water/brine saturated gouge mixtures, exhibit almost instantaneous attainment of very low steady-state sliding friction (0.1), suggesting that seismic ruptures may efficiently propagate in the slip zone of fluid-saturated shale faults. Stable sliding in faults in shale can cause slow fault/fracture propagation, affecting the rate at which new fracture areas are created and, hence, limiting oil and gas production during reservoir stimulation. However, fluid saturated conditions can favour seismic slip propagation, with fast and efficient creation of new fracture areas. These processes are very effective at dilational jogs, where fluid circulation may be enhanced, facilitating oil and gas production.

Thematic Mapper and field investigations at the intersection of the Death Valley and Garlock fault zones, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brady, Roland H., III; Cregan, Alan; Clayton, Jeff; Troxel, Bennie W.; Verosub, Kenneth L.; Abrams, Michael

1989-01-01

Analysis of processed images and detailed field investigations have provided significant information concerning the late-Pliocene and Quaternary evolution of the intersection of the Garlock and Death Valley fault zones. The imagery was used to determine patterns of sedimentation and age relationships on alluvial fans and to determine the geometry, styles of deformation, and relative ages of movements on major and minor faults in the study area. The field investigation often confirmed the inferences drawn from the images and provided additional tectonic and geomorphologic data about the Quaternary deformation of the region. All the data gathered in the course of this project support the contention that the Garlock fault zone terminates in the Avawatz Mountains and that the Death Valley fault zone continues south of the intersection for at least 50 km, forming the eastern boundary of the Mojave province.

Fault-Slip Data Analysis and Cover Versus Basement Fracture Patterns - Implications for Subsurface Technical Processes in Thuringia, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasch, N.; Kley, J.; Navabpour, P.; Siegburg, M.; Malz, A.

2014-12-01

Recent investigations in Thuringia, Central Germany, focus on the potential for carbon sequestration, groundwater supply and geothermal energy. We report on the results of an integrated fault-slip data analysis to characterize the geometries and kinematics of systematic fractures in contrasting basement and cover rock lithologies. The lithostratigraphy of the area comprises locally exposed crystalline rocks and intermittently overlying Permian volcanic and clastic sedimentary rocks, together referred to as basement. A Late Permian sequence of evaporites, carbonates and shale constitutes the transition to the continuous sedimentary cover of Triassic age. Major NW-SE-striking fault zones and minor NNE-SSW-striking faults affect this stratigraphic succession. These characteristic narrow deforming areas (< 3 km width) build a dense network of individual fault strands with a close juxtaposition to wider (> 15 km) non-deforming areas suggesting localized zones of mechanical weakness, which can be confirmed by the frequent reactivation of single fault strands. Along the major fault zones, the basement and cover contain dominant inclined to sub-vertical NW-SE-striking fractures. These fractures indicate successive normal, dextral strike-slip and reverse senses of slip, evidencing events of NNE-SSW extension and contraction. Another system of mostly sub-vertical NNW-SSE- and NE-SW-striking conjugate strike-slip faults mainly developed within the cover implies NNE-SSW contraction and WNW-ESE extension. Earthquake focal mechanisms and in-situ stress measurements reveal a NW-SE trend for the modern SHmax. Nevertheless, fractures and fault-slip indicators are rare in the non-deforming areas, which characterizes Thuringia as a dual domain of (1) large unfractured areas and (2) narrow zones of high potential for technical applications. Our data therefore provide a basis for estimation of slip and dilation tendency of the contrasting fractures in the basement and cover under the present-day stress field, which must be taken into account for different subsurface technical approaches.

The Bear River Fault Zone, Wyoming and Utah: Complex Ruptures on a Young Normal Fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, D. P.; Hecker, S.; Haproff, P.; Beukelman, G.; Erickson, B.

2012-12-01

The Bear River fault zone (BRFZ), a set of normal fault scarps located in the Rocky Mountains at the eastern margin of Basin and Range extension, is a rare example of a nascent surface-rupturing fault. Paleoseismic investigations (West, 1994; this study) indicate that the entire neotectonic history of the BRFZ may consist of two large surface-faulting events in the late Holocene. We have estimated a maximum per-event vertical displacement of 6-6.5 m at the south end of the fault where it abuts the north flank of the east-west-trending Uinta Mountains. However, large hanging-wall depressions resulting from back rotation, which front scarps that locally exceed 15 m in height, are prevalent along the main trace, obscuring the net displacement and its along-strike distribution. The modest length (~35 km) of the BRFZ indicates ruptures with a large displacement-to-length ratio, which implies earthquakes with a high static stress drop. The BRFZ is one of several immature (low cumulative displacement) normal faults in the Rocky Mountain region that appear to produce high-stress drop earthquakes. West (1992) interpreted the BRFZ as an extensionally reactivated ramp of the late Cretaceous-early Tertiary Hogsback thrust. LiDAR data on the southern section of the fault and Google Earth imagery show that these young ruptures are more extensive than currently mapped, with newly identified large (>10m) antithetic scarps and footwall graben. The scarps of the BRFZ extend across a 2.5-5.0 km-wide zone, making this the widest and most complex Holocene surface rupture in the Intermountain West. The broad distribution of Late Holocene scarps is consistent with reactivation of shallow bedrock structures but the overall geometry of the BRFZ at depth and its extent into the seismogenic zone are uncertain.

Shear zone reactivation during South Atlantic rifting in NW Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koehn, D.; Passchier, C. W.; Salomon, E.

2013-12-01

Reactivation of inherited structures during rifting as well as an influence of inherited structures on the orientation of a developing rift has long been discussed (e.g. Piqué & Laville, 1996; Younes & McClay, 2002). Here, we present a qualitative and quantitative study of shear zone reactivation during the South Atlantic opening in NW Namibia. The study area comprises the Neo-Proterozoic rocks of the Kaoko Belt which was formed during the amalgamation of Gondwana. The Kaoko Belt encompasses the prominent ~500 km long ductile Purros shear zone and the Three Palms shear zone, both running sub-parallel to the present continental margin. The Kaoko Belt is partly overlain by the basalts of the Paraná-Etendeka Large Igneous Province, which with an age of ~133 Ma were emplaced just before or during the onset of the Atlantic rifting at this latitude. Combining the analysis of satellite imagery and digital elevation models with extensive field work, we identified numerous faults tracing the old shear zones along which the Etendeka basalts were down-faulted. The faults are often listric, yet we also found evidence for a regional scale basin formation. Our analysis allowed for constructing the geometry of three of these faults and we could thus estimate the vertical offsets to ~150 m, ~500 m, and ~1100 m, respectively. Our results contribute to the view that the basement inheritance plays a significant role on rifting processes and that the reactivation of shear zones can accumulate significant amounts of displacement. References: Pique, A. and E. Laville (1996). The Central Atlantic rifting: Reactivation of Paleozoic structures?. J. Geodynamics, 21, 235-255. Younes, I.A. and K. McClay (2002). Development of accommodation zones in the Gulf of Suez-Red Sea rift, Egypt. AAPG Bulletin, 86, 1003-1026.

Accounting for uncertain fault geometry in earthquake source inversions - I: theory and simplified application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragon, Théa; Sladen, Anthony; Simons, Mark

2018-05-01

The ill-posed nature of earthquake source estimation derives from several factors including the quality and quantity of available observations and the fidelity of our forward theory. Observational errors are usually accounted for in the inversion process. Epistemic errors, which stem from our simplified description of the forward problem, are rarely dealt with despite their potential to bias the estimate of a source model. In this study, we explore the impact of uncertainties related to the choice of a fault geometry in source inversion problems. The geometry of a fault structure is generally reduced to a set of parameters, such as position, strike and dip, for one or a few planar fault segments. While some of these parameters can be solved for, more often they are fixed to an uncertain value. We propose a practical framework to address this limitation by following a previously implemented method exploring the impact of uncertainties on the elastic properties of our models. We develop a sensitivity analysis to small perturbations of fault dip and position. The uncertainties in fault geometry are included in the inverse problem under the formulation of the misfit covariance matrix that combines both prediction and observation uncertainties. We validate this approach with the simplified case of a fault that extends infinitely along strike, using both Bayesian and optimization formulations of a static inversion. If epistemic errors are ignored, predictions are overconfident in the data and source parameters are not reliably estimated. In contrast, inclusion of uncertainties in fault geometry allows us to infer a robust posterior source model. Epistemic uncertainties can be many orders of magnitude larger than observational errors for great earthquakes (Mw > 8). Not accounting for uncertainties in fault geometry may partly explain observed shallow slip deficits for continental earthquakes. Similarly, ignoring the impact of epistemic errors can also bias estimates of near surface slip and predictions of tsunamis induced by megathrust earthquakes. (Mw > 8)

Architectural and microstructural characterization of a seismogenic normal fault in dolostones (Central Apennines, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demurtas, Matteo; Fondriest, Michele; Clemenzi, Luca; Balsamo, Fabrizio; Storti, Fabrizio; Di Toro, Giulio

2015-04-01

Fault zones cutting carbonate sequences represent significant seismogenic sources worldwide (e.g. L'Aquila 2009, MW 6.1). Though seismological and geophysical techniques (double differences method, trapped waves, etc.) allow us to investigate down to the decametric scale the structure of active fault zones, further geological field surveys and microstructural studies of exhumed seismogenic fault zones are required to support interpretation of geophysical data, quantify the geometry of fault zones and identify the fault processes active during the seismic cycle. Here we describe the architecture (i.e. fault geometry and fault rock distribution) of the well-exposed footwall-block of the Campo Imperatore Fault Zone (CIFZ) by means of remote sensed analyses, field surveys, mineralogical (XRD, micro-Raman spectroscopy) and microstructural (FE-SEM, optical microscope cathodoluminescence) investigations. The CIFZ dips 58° towards N210 and its strike mimics that of the arcuate Gran Sasso Thrust Belt (Central Apennines). The CIFZ was exhumed from 2-3 km depth and accommodated a normal throw of ~2 km starting from the Early-Pleistocene. In the studied area, the CIFZ puts in contact the Holocene deposits at the hangingwall with dolomitized Jurassic carbonate platform successions (Calcare Massiccio) at the footwall. From remote sensed analyses, structural lineaments both inside and outside the CIFZ have a typical NW-SE Apenninic strike, which is parallel to the local trend of the Gran Sasso Thrust. Based on the density of the fracture/fault network and the type of fault zone rocks, we distinguished four main structural domains within the ~300 m thick CIFZ footwall-block, which include (i) a well-cemented (white in color) cataclastic zone (up to ~40 m thick) at the contact with the Holocene deposits, (ii) a well-cemented (brown to grey in color) breccia zone (up to ~15 m thick), (iii) an high strain damage zone (fracture spacing < 2-3 cm), and (iv) a low strain damage zone (fracture spacing > 10 cm). Other than by the main boundary normal fault, slip was accommodated in the cataclastic zone by minor sub-parallel synthetic and antithetic normal faults and by few tear strike-slip fault; the rest of the footwall shows progressively less pervasive damage down to the background intensity of deformation. High strain domains include (1) pervasively fragmented dolostones with radial fractures (evidence of in-situ shattering), (2) shiny (mirror-like) fault surfaces truncating dolostone clasts, (3) mm-thick ultra-cataclastic layers with lobate and cuspate boundaries, (4) mixed calcite-dolomite "foliated cataclasites". The above microstructures can be associated with seismic faulting. Fluids infiltration during deformation is attested by the occurrence of multiple generations of carbonate-filled veins, often exploited as minor faults with a mylonite-like fabric (e.g. presence of micrometer in size euhedral calcite grains). The attitude of the studied segment of the CIFZ, the thickness of the footwall block and the kinematics of the minor faults compares well with the hypocentral and focal mechanisms distribution typical of the earthquake sequences in the Apennines. In particular, the CIFZ can be considered as an exhumed analogue of the normal fault system that caused the L'Aquila 2009 seismic sequence.

Style and rate of quaternary deformation of the Hosgri Fault Zone, offshore south-central coastal California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanson, Kathryn L.; Lettis, William R.; McLaren, Marcia; Savage, William U.; Hall, N. Timothy; Keller, Mararget A.

2004-01-01

The Hosgri Fault Zone is the southernmost component of a complex system of right-slip faults in south-central coastal California that includes the San Gregorio, Sur, and San Simeon Faults. We have characterized the contemporary style of faulting along the zone on the basis of an integrated analysis of a broad spectrum of data, including shallow high-resolution and deep penetration seismic reflection data; geologic and geomorphic data along the Hosgri and San Simeon Fault Zones and the intervening San Simeon/Hosgri pull-apart basin; the distribution and nature of near-coast seismicity; regional tectonic kinematics; and comparison of the Hosgri Fault Zone with worldwide strike-slip, oblique-slip, and reverse-slip fault zones. These data show that the modern Hosgri Fault Zone is a convergent right-slip (transpressional) fault having a late Quaternary slip rate of 1 to 3 mm/yr. Evidence supporting predominantly strike-slip deformation includes (1) a long, narrow, linear zone of faulting and associated deformation; (2) the presence of asymmetric flower structures; (3) kinematically consistent localized extensional and compressional deformation at releasing and restraining bends or steps, respectively, in the fault zone; (4) changes in the sense and magnitude of vertical separation both along trend of the fault zone and vertically within the fault zone; (5) strike-slip focal mechanisms along the fault trace; (6) a distribution of seismicity that delineates a high-angle fault extending through the seismogenic crust; (7) high ratios of lateral to vertical slip along the fault zone; and (8) the separation by the fault of two tectonic domains (offshore Santa Maria Basin, onshore Los Osos domain) that are undergoing contrasting styles of deformation and orientations of crustal shortening. The convergent component of slip is evidenced by the deformation of the early-late Pliocene unconformity. In characterizing the style of faulting along the Hosgri Fault Zone, we assessed alternative tectonic models by evaluating (1) the cumulative effects of multiple deformational episodes that can produce complex, difficult-to-interpret fault geometries, patterns, and senses of displacement; (2) the difficult imaging of high-angle fault planes and horizontal fault separations on seismic reflection data; and (3) the effects of strain partitioning that yield coeval strike-slip faults and associated fold and thrust belts.

Hydromechanical heterogeneities of a mature fault zone: impacts on fluid flow.

PubMed

Jeanne, Pierre; Guglielmi, Yves; Cappa, Frédéric

2013-01-01

In this paper, fluid flow is examined for a mature strike-slip fault zone with anisotropic permeability and internal heterogeneity. The hydraulic properties of the fault zone were first characterized in situ by microgeophysical (VP and σc ) and rock-quality measurements (Q-value) performed along a 50-m long profile perpendicular to the fault zone. Then, the local hydrogeological context of the fault was modified to conduct a water-injection test. The resulting fluid pressures and flow rates through the different fault-zone compartments were then analyzed with a two-phase fluid-flow numerical simulation. Fault hydraulic properties estimated from the injection test signals were compared to the properties estimated from the multiscale geological approach. We found that (1) the microgeophysical measurements that we made yield valuable information on the porosity and the specific storage coefficient within the fault zone and (2) the Q-value method highlights significant contrasts in permeability. Fault hydrodynamic behavior can be modeled by a permeability tensor rotation across the fault zone and by a storativity increase. The permeability tensor rotation is linked to the modification of the preexisting fracture properties and to the development of new fractures during the faulting process, whereas the storativity increase results from the development of micro- and macrofractures that lower the fault-zone stiffness and allows an increased extension of the pore space within the fault damage zone. Finally, heterogeneities internal to the fault zones create complex patterns of fluid flow that reflect the connections of paths with contrasting properties. © 2013, The Author(s). Ground Water © 2013, National Ground Water Association.

Modeling of time-lapse multi-scale seismic monitoring of CO2 injected into a fault zone to enhance the characterization of permeability in enhanced geothermal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, R.; Borgia, A.; Daley, T. M.; Oldenburg, C. M.; Jung, Y.; Lee, K. J.; Doughty, C.; Altundas, B.; Chugunov, N.; Ramakrishnan, T. S.

2017-12-01

Subsurface permeable faults and fracture networks play a critical role for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) by providing conduits for fluid flow. Characterization of the permeable flow paths before and after stimulation is necessary to evaluate and optimize energy extraction. To provide insight into the feasibility of using CO2 as a contrast agent to enhance fault characterization by seismic methods, we model seismic monitoring of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) injected into a fault. During the CO2 injection, the original brine is replaced by scCO2, which leads to variations in geophysical properties of the formation. To explore the technical feasibility of the approach, we present modeling results for different time-lapse seismic methods including surface seismic, vertical seismic profiling (VSP), and a cross-well survey. We simulate the injection and production of CO2 into a normal fault in a system based on the Brady's geothermal field and model pressure and saturation variations in the fault zone using TOUGH2-ECO2N. The simulation results provide changing fluid properties during the injection, such as saturation and salinity changes, which allow us to estimate corresponding changes in seismic properties of the fault and the formation. We model the response of the system to active seismic monitoring in time-lapse mode using an anisotropic finite difference method with modifications for fracture compliance. Results to date show that even narrow fault and fracture zones filled with CO2 can be better detected using the VSP and cross-well survey geometry, while it would be difficult to image the CO2 plume by using surface seismic methods.

Structural localization and origin of compartmentalized fluid flow, Comstock lode, Virginia City, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berger, B.R.; Tingley, J.V.; Drew, L.J.

2003-01-01

Bonanza-grade orebodies in epithermal-style mineral deposits characteristically occur as discrete zones within spatially more extensive fault and/or fracture systems. Empirically, the segregation of such systems into compartments of higher and lower permeability appears to be a key process necessary for high-grade ore formation and, most commonly, it is such concentrations of metals that make an epithermal vein district world class. In the world-class silver- and gold-producing Comstock mining district, Nevada, several lines of evidence lead to the conclusion that the Comstock lode is localized in an extensional stepover between right-lateral fault zones. This evidence includes fault geometries, kinematic indicators of slip, the hydraulic connectivity of faults as demonstrated by veins and dikes along faults, and the opening of a normal-fault-bounded, asymmetric basin between two parallel and overlapping northwest-striking, lateral- to lateral-oblique-slip fault zones. During basin opening, thick, generally subeconomic, banded quartz-adularia veins were deposited in the normal fault zone, the Comstock fault, and along one of the bounding lateral fault zones, the Silver City fault. As deformation continued, the intrusion of dikes and small plugs into the hanging wall of the Comstock fault zone may have impeded the ability of the stepover to accommodate displacement on the bounding strike-slip faults through extension within the stepover. A transient period of transpressional deformation of the Comstock fault zone ensued, and the early-stage veins were deformed through boudinaging and hydraulic fragmentation, fault-motion inversion, and high- and low-angle axial rotations of segments of the fault planes and some fault-bounded wedges. This deformation led to the formation of spatially restricted compartments of high vertical permeability and hydraulic connectivity and low lateral hydraulic connectivity. Bonanza orebodies were formed in the compartmentalized zones of high permeability and hydraulic connectivity. As heat flow and related hydrothermal activitv waned along the Comstock fault zone, extension was reactivated in the stepover along the Occidental zone of normal faults east of the Comstock fault zone. Volcanic and related intrusive activity in this part of the stepover led to a new episode of hydrothermal activity and formation of the Occidental lodes.

Scenario earthquake hazards for the Long Valley Caldera-Mono Lake area, east-central California (ver. 2.0, January 2018)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, Rui; Branum, David M.; Wills, Chris J.; Hill, David P.

2014-06-30

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) multi-hazards project in the Long Valley Caldera-Mono Lake area, the California Geological Survey (CGS) developed several earthquake scenarios and evaluated potential seismic hazards, including ground shaking, surface fault rupture, liquefaction, and landslide hazards associated with these earthquake scenarios. The results of these analyses can be useful in estimating the extent of potential damage and economic losses because of potential earthquakes and also for preparing emergency response plans.The Long Valley Caldera-Mono Lake area has numerous active faults. Five of these faults or fault zones are considered capable of producing magnitude ≥6.7 earthquakes according to the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, Version 2 (UCERF 2) developed by the 2007 Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities (WGCEP) and the USGS National Seismic Hazard Mapping Program. These five faults are the Fish Slough, Hartley Springs, Hilton Creek, Mono Lake, and Round Valley Faults. CGS developed earthquake scenarios for these five faults in the study area and for the White Mountains Fault Zone to the east of the study area.In this report, an earthquake scenario is intended to depict the potential consequences of significant earthquakes. A scenario earthquake is not necessarily the largest or most damaging earthquake possible on a recognized fault. Rather it is both large enough and likely enough that emergency planners should consider it in regional emergency response plans. In particular, the ground motion predicted for a given scenario earthquake does not represent a full probabilistic hazard assessment, and thus it does not provide the basis for hazard zoning and earthquake-resistant building design.Earthquake scenarios presented here are based on fault geometry and activity data developed by the WGCEP, and are consistent with the 2008 Update of the United States National Seismic Hazard Maps (NSHM). Alternatives to the NSHM scenario were developed for the Hilton Creek and Hartley Springs Faults to account for different opinions in how far these two faults extend into Long Valley Caldera. For each scenario, ground motions were calculated using the current standard practice: the deterministic seismic hazard analysis program developed by Art Frankel of USGS and three Next Generation Ground Motion Attenuation (NGA) models. Ground motion calculations incorporated the potential amplification of seismic shaking by near-surface soils defined by a map of the average shear wave velocity in the uppermost 30 m (VS30) developed by CGS.In addition to ground shaking and shaking-related ground failure such as liquefaction and earthquake induced landslides, earthquakes cause surface rupture displacement, which can lead to severe damage of buildings and lifelines. For each earthquake scenario, potential surface fault displacements are estimated using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. Liquefaction occurs when saturated sediments lose their strength because of ground shaking. Zones of potential liquefaction are mapped by incorporating areas where loose sandy sediments, shallow groundwater, and strong earthquake shaking coincide in the earthquake scenario. The process for defining zones of potential landslide and rockfall incorporates rock strength, surface slope, and existing landslides, with ground motions caused by the scenario earthquake.Each scenario is illustrated with maps of seismic shaking potential and fault displacement, liquefaction, and landslide potential. Seismic shaking is depicted by the distribution of shaking intensity, peak ground acceleration, and 1.0-second spectral acceleration. One-second spectral acceleration correlates well with structural damage to surface facilities. Acceleration greater than 0.2 g is often associated with strong ground shaking and may cause moderate to heavy damage. The extent of strong shaking is influenced by subsurface fault dip and near surface materials. Strong shaking is more widespread in the hanging wall regions of a normal fault. Larger ground motions also occur where young alluvial sediments amplify the shaking. Both of these effects can lead to strong shaking that extends farther from the fault on the valley side than on the hill side.The effect of fault rupture displacements may be localized along the surface trace of the mapped earthquake fault if fault geometry is simple and the fault traces are accurately located. However, surface displacement hazards can spread over a few hundred meters to a few kilometers if the earthquake fault has numerous splays or branches, such as the Hilton Creek Fault. Faulting displacements are estimated to be about 1 meter along normal faults in the study area and close to 2 meters along the White Mountains Fault Zone.All scenarios show the possibility of widespread ground failure. Liquefaction damage would likely occur in the areas of higher ground shaking near the faults where there are sandy/silty sediments and the depth to groundwater is 6.1 meters (20 feet) or less. Generally, this means damage is most common near lakes and streams in the areas of strongest shaking. Landslide potential exists throughout the study region. All steep slopes (>30 degrees) present a potential hazard at any level of shaking. Lesser slopes may have landslides within the areas of the higher ground shaking. The landslide hazard zones also are likely sources for snow avalanches during winter months and for large boulders that can be shaken loose and roll hundreds of feet down hill, which happened during the 1980 Mammoth Lakes earthquakes.Whereas methodologies used in estimating ground shaking, liquefaction, and landslides are well developed and have been applied in published hazard maps; methodologies used in estimating surface fault displacement are still being developed. Therefore, this report provides a more in-depth and detailed discussion of methodologies used for deterministic and probabilistic fault displacement hazard analyses for this project.

Late Pleistocene-Holocene Activity of the Strike-slip Xianshuihe Fault Zone, Tibetan Plateau, Inferred from Tectonic Landforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, A.; Yan, B.

2017-12-01

Knowledges on the activity of the strike-slip fault zones on the Tibetan Plateau have been promoted greatly by the interpretation of remote sensing images (Molnar and Tapponnier, 1975; Tapponnier and Molnar, 1977). The active strike-slip Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang Fault System (XXFS), with the geometry of an arc projecting northeastwards, plays an important role in the crustal deformation of the Tibetan Plateau caused by the continental collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. The Xianshuihe Fault Zone (XFZ) is located in the central segment of the XXFS and extends for 370 km, with a maximum sinistral offset of 60 km since 13‒5 Ma. In this study, we investigated the tectonic landforms and slip rate along the central segment of the left-lateral strike-slip XFZ. Field investigations and analysis of ttectonic landforms show that horizontal offset has been accumulated on the topographical markers of different scales that developed since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The central segment of the XFZ is composed of three major faults: Yalahe, Selaha, and Zheduotang faults showing a right-stepping echelon pattern, that is characterized by systematical offset of drainages, alluvial fans and terrace risers with typical scissoring structures, indicating a structural feature of left-lateral strike-slip fault. Based on the offset glacial morphology and radiocarbon dating ages, we estimate the Late Pleistocene-Holocene slip rate to be 10 mm/yr for the central segment of the XFZ, which is consistent with that estimated from the GPS observations and geological evidence as reported previously. Across the central segment of the XFZ, the major Selaha and Zheduotang faults participate a slip rate of 5.8 mm/yr and 3.4 mm/yr, respectively. Detailed investigations of tectonic landforms are essential for the understanding the activity of active faults. Our findings suggest that the left-lateral slipping of the XFZ partitions the deformation of eastward extrusion and northeastward shortening of the central Tibetan Plateau to accommodate the continuing penetration of the Indian plate into the Eurasian plate.

Integrated petrographic - rock mechanic borecore study from the metamorphic basement of the Pannonian Basin, Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molnár, László; Vásárhelyi, Balázs; Tóth, Tivadar M.; Schubert, Félix

2015-01-01

The integrated evaluation of borecores from the Mezősas-Furta fractured metamorphic hydrocarbon reservoir suggests significantly distinct microstructural and rock mechanical features within the analysed fault rock samples. The statistical evaluation of the clast geometries revealed the dominantly cataclastic nature of the samples. Damage zone of the fault can be characterised by an extremely brittle nature and low uniaxial compressive strength, coupled with a predominately coarse fault breccia composition. In contrast, the microstructural manner of the increasing deformation coupled with higher uniaxial compressive strength, strain-hardening nature and low brittleness indicate a transitional interval between the weakly fragmented damage zone and strongly grinded fault core. Moreover, these attributes suggest this unit is mechanically the strongest part of the fault zone. Gougerich cataclasites mark the core zone of the fault, with their widespread plastic nature and locally pseudo-ductile microstructure. Strain localization tends to be strongly linked with the existence of fault gouge ribbons. The fault zone with ˜15 m total thickness can be defined as a significant migration pathway inside the fractured crystalline reservoir. Moreover, as a consequence of the distributed nature of the fault core, it may possibly have a key role in compartmentalisation of the local hydraulic system.

Structural framework of a major intracontinental orogenic termination zone: The easternmost Tien Shan, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, D.; Owen, L.A.; Snee, L.W.; Li, Ji

2003-01-01

The Barkol Tagh and Karlik Tagh ranges of the easternmost Tien Shan are a natural laboratory for studying the fault architecture of an active termination zone of a major intracontinental mountain range. Barkol and Karlik Tagh and lesser ranges to the north are bounded by active thrust faults that locally deform Quaternary sediments. Major thrusts in Karlik Tagh connect along strike to the east with the left-lateral Gobi-Tien Shan Fault System in SW Mongolia. From a Mongolian perspective. Karlik Tagh represents a large restraining bend for this regional strike-slip fault system, and the entire system of thrusts and strike-slip faults in the Karlik Tagh region defines a horsetail splay fault geometry. Regionally, there appears to be a kinematic transition from thrust-dominated deformation in the central Tien Shan to left-lateral transpressional deformation in the easternmost Tien Shan. This transition correlates with a general eastward decrease in mountain belt width and average elevation and a change in the angular relationship between the NNE-directed maximum horizontal stress in the region and the pre-existing basement structural grain, which is northwesterly in the central Tien Shan (orthogonal to SHmax) but more east-west in the eastern Tien Shan (acute angular relationship with SHmax . Ar-Ar ages indicate that major range-bounding thrusts in Barkol and Karlik Tagh are latest Permian-Triassic ductile thrust zones that underwent brittle reactivation in the Late Cenozoic. It is estimated that the modern mountain ranges of the extreme easternmost Tien Shan could have been constructed by only 10-15 km of Late Cenozoic horizontal shortening.

Modeling earthquake sequences along the Manila subduction zone: Effects of three-dimensional fault geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Hongyu; Liu, Yajing; Yang, Hongfeng; Ning, Jieyuan

2018-05-01

To assess the potential of catastrophic megathrust earthquakes (MW > 8) along the Manila Trench, the eastern boundary of the South China Sea, we incorporate a 3D non-planar fault geometry in the framework of rate-state friction to simulate earthquake rupture sequences along the fault segment between 15°N-19°N of northern Luzon. Our simulation results demonstrate that the first-order fault geometry heterogeneity, the transitional-segment (possibly related to the subducting Scarborough seamount chain) connecting the steeper south segment and the flatter north segment, controls earthquake rupture behaviors. The strong along-strike curvature at the transitional-segment typically leads to partial ruptures of MW 8.3 and MW 7.8 along the southern and northern segments respectively. The entire fault occasionally ruptures in MW 8.8 events when the cumulative stress in the transitional-segment is sufficiently high to overcome the geometrical inhibition. Fault shear stress evolution, represented by the S-ratio, is clearly modulated by the width of seismogenic zone (W). At a constant plate convergence rate, a larger W indicates on average lower interseismic stress loading rate and longer rupture recurrence period, and could slow down or sometimes stop ruptures that initiated from a narrower portion. Moreover, the modeled interseismic slip rate before whole-fault rupture events is comparable with the coupling state that was inferred from the interplate seismicity distribution, suggesting the Manila trench could potentially rupture in a M8+ earthquake.

Evidence for distributed clockwise rotation of the crust in the northwestern United States from fault geometries and focal mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brocher, Thomas M.; Wells, Ray E.; Lamb, Andrew P.; Weaver, Craig S.

2017-05-01

Paleomagnetic and GPS data indicate that Washington and Oregon have rotated clockwise for the past 16 Myr. Late Cenozoic and Quaternary fault geometries, seismicity lineaments, and focal mechanisms provide evidence that this rotation is accommodated by north directed thrusting and right-lateral strike-slip faulting in Washington, and SW to W directed normal faulting and right-lateral strike-slip faulting to the east. Several curvilinear NW to NNW trending high-angle strike-slip faults and seismicity lineaments in Washington and NW Oregon define a geologic pole (117.7°W, 47.9°N) of rotation relative to North America. Many faults and focal mechanisms throughout northwestern U.S. and southwestern British Columbia have orientations consistent with this geologic pole as do GPS surface velocities corrected for elastic Cascadia subduction zone coupling. Large Quaternary normal faults radial to the geologic pole, which appear to accommodate crustal rotation via crustal extension, are widespread and can be found along the Lewis and Clark zone in Montana, within the Centennial fault system north of the Snake River Plain in Idaho and Montana, to the west of the Wasatch Front in Utah, and within the northern Basin and Range in Oregon and Nevada. Distributed strike-slip faults are most prominent in western Washington and Oregon and may serve to transfer slip between faults throughout the northwestern U.S.

Evidence for distributed clockwise rotation of the crust in the northwestern United States from fault geometries and focal mechanisms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brocher, Thomas M.; Wells, Ray E.; Lamb, Andrew P.; Weaver, Craig S.

2017-01-01

Paleomagnetic and GPS data indicate that Washington and Oregon have rotated clockwise for the past 16 Myr. Late Cenozoic and Quaternary fault geometries, seismicity lineaments, and focal mechanisms provide evidence that this rotation is accommodated by north directed thrusting and right-lateral strike-slip faulting in Washington, and SW to W directed normal faulting and right-lateral strike-slip faulting to the east. Several curvilinear NW to NNW trending high-angle strike-slip faults and seismicity lineaments in Washington and NW Oregon define a geologic pole (117.7°W, 47.9°N) of rotation relative to North America. Many faults and focal mechanisms throughout northwestern U.S. and southwestern British Columbia have orientations consistent with this geologic pole as do GPS surface velocities corrected for elastic Cascadia subduction zone coupling. Large Quaternary normal faults radial to the geologic pole, which appear to accommodate crustal rotation via crustal extension, are widespread and can be found along the Lewis and Clark zone in Montana, within the Centennial fault system north of the Snake River Plain in Idaho and Montana, to the west of the Wasatch Front in Utah, and within the northern Basin and Range in Oregon and Nevada. Distributed strike-slip faults are most prominent in western Washington and Oregon and may serve to transfer slip between faults throughout the northwestern U.S.

Fault evolution in the Potiguar rift termination, equatorial margin of Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Castro, D. L.; Bezerra, F. H. R.

2015-02-01

The transform shearing between South American and African plates in the Cretaceous generated a series of sedimentary basins on both plate margins. In this study, we use gravity, aeromagnetic, and resistivity surveys to identify architecture of fault systems and to analyze the evolution of the eastern equatorial margin of Brazil. Our study area is the southern onshore termination of the Potiguar rift, which is an aborted NE-trending rift arm developed during the breakup of Pangea. The basin is located along the NNE margin of South America that faces the main transform zone that separates the North and the South Atlantic. The Potiguar rift is a Neocomian structure located at the intersection of the equatorial and western South Atlantic and is composed of a series of NE-trending horsts and grabens. This study reveals new grabens in the Potiguar rift and indicates that stretching in the southern rift termination created a WNW-trending, 10 km wide, and ~ 40 km long right-lateral strike-slip fault zone. This zone encompasses at least eight depocenters, which are bounded by a left-stepping, en echelon system of NW-SE- to NS-striking normal faults. These depocenters form grabens up to 1200 m deep with a rhomb-shaped geometry, which are filled with rift sedimentary units and capped by postrift sedimentary sequences. The evolution of the rift termination is consistent with the right-lateral shearing of the equatorial margin in the Cretaceous and occurs not only at the rift termination but also as isolated structures away from the main rift. This study indicates that the strike-slip shearing between two plates propagated to the interior of one of these plates, where faults with similar orientation, kinematics, geometry, and timing of the major transform are observed. These faults also influence rift geometry.

Estimation of recurrence interval of large earthquakes on the central Longmen Shan fault zone based on seismic moment accumulation/release model.

PubMed

Ren, Junjie; Zhang, Shimin

2013-01-01

Recurrence interval of large earthquake on an active fault zone is an important parameter in assessing seismic hazard. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (Mw 7.9) occurred on the central Longmen Shan fault zone and ruptured the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault (YBF) and the Guanxian-Jiangyou fault (GJF). However, there is a considerable discrepancy among recurrence intervals of large earthquake in preseismic and postseismic estimates based on slip rate and paleoseismologic results. Post-seismic trenches showed that the central Longmen Shan fault zone probably undertakes an event similar to the 2008 quake, suggesting a characteristic earthquake model. In this paper, we use the published seismogenic model of the 2008 earthquake based on Global Positioning System (GPS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data and construct a characteristic seismic moment accumulation/release model to estimate recurrence interval of large earthquakes on the central Longmen Shan fault zone. Our results show that the seismogenic zone accommodates a moment rate of (2.7 ± 0.3) × 10¹⁷ N m/yr, and a recurrence interval of 3900 ± 400 yrs is necessary for accumulation of strain energy equivalent to the 2008 earthquake. This study provides a preferred interval estimation of large earthquakes for seismic hazard analysis in the Longmen Shan region.

Estimation of Recurrence Interval of Large Earthquakes on the Central Longmen Shan Fault Zone Based on Seismic Moment Accumulation/Release Model

PubMed Central

Zhang, Shimin

2013-01-01

Recurrence interval of large earthquake on an active fault zone is an important parameter in assessing seismic hazard. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (Mw 7.9) occurred on the central Longmen Shan fault zone and ruptured the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault (YBF) and the Guanxian-Jiangyou fault (GJF). However, there is a considerable discrepancy among recurrence intervals of large earthquake in preseismic and postseismic estimates based on slip rate and paleoseismologic results. Post-seismic trenches showed that the central Longmen Shan fault zone probably undertakes an event similar to the 2008 quake, suggesting a characteristic earthquake model. In this paper, we use the published seismogenic model of the 2008 earthquake based on Global Positioning System (GPS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data and construct a characteristic seismic moment accumulation/release model to estimate recurrence interval of large earthquakes on the central Longmen Shan fault zone. Our results show that the seismogenic zone accommodates a moment rate of (2.7 ± 0.3) × 1017 N m/yr, and a recurrence interval of 3900 ± 400 yrs is necessary for accumulation of strain energy equivalent to the 2008 earthquake. This study provides a preferred interval estimation of large earthquakes for seismic hazard analysis in the Longmen Shan region. PMID:23878524

Width of the Surface Rupture Zone for Thrust Earthquakes and Implications for Earthquake Fault Zoning: Chi-Chi 1999 and Wenchuan 2008 Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boncio, P.; Caldarella, M.

2016-12-01

We analyze the zones of coseismic surface faulting along thrust faults, whit the aim of defining the most appropriate criteria for zoning the Surface Fault Rupture Hazard (SFRH) along thrust faults. Normal and strike-slip faults were deeply studied in the past, while thrust faults were not studied with comparable attention. We analyze the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan (Mw 7.6) and 2008 Wenchuan, China (Mw 7.9) earthquakes. Several different types of coseismic fault scarps characterize the two earthquakes, depending on the topography, fault geometry and near-surface materials. For both the earthquakes, we collected from the literature, or measured in GIS-georeferenced published maps, data about the Width of the coseismic Rupture Zone (WRZ). The frequency distribution of WRZ compared to the trace of the main fault shows that the surface ruptures occur mainly on and near the main fault. Ruptures located away from the main fault occur mainly in the hanging wall. Where structural complexities are present (e.g., sharp bends, step-overs), WRZ is wider then for simple fault traces. We also fitted the distribution of the WRZ dataset with probability density functions, in order to define a criterion to remove outliers (e.g., by selecting 90% or 95% probability) and define the zone where the probability of SFRH is the highest. This might help in sizing the zones of SFRH during seismic microzonation (SM) mapping. In order to shape zones of SFRH, a very detailed earthquake geologic study of the fault is necessary. In the absence of such a very detailed study, during basic (First level) SM mapping, a width of 350-400 m seems to be recommended (95% of probability). If the fault is carefully mapped (higher level SM), one must consider that the highest SFRH is concentrated in a narrow zone, 50 m-wide, that should be considered as a "fault-avoidance (or setback) zone". These fault zones should be asymmetric. The ratio of footwall to hanging wall (FW:HW) calculated here ranges from 1:5 to 1:3.

Teleseismic Upper-mantle Tomography of the Tanlu Fault Zone in East China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, J., Sr.; Zhao, D.; Du, M.; Mi, Q.; Lu, M.

2017-12-01

The Tanlu fault zone, NNE-SSW oriented with strike-slip motions, is the most significant active fault in East China. The great 1668 Tancheng earthquake (Ms 8.5) occurred on this fault zone, which is located above the stagnant Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone (MTZ). To the east of the Tancheng earthquake epicenter and under the southernmost Korean Peninsula to westernmost Japan, the subducting Pacific slab exhibits a sharp change in its geometry. However, the relationship between the Pacific slab and the great earthquake on the Tanlu fault is unclear. To address this issue, we conduct teleseismic P-wave tomography using 44,715 relative arrival times. These data are collected from high-quality seismograms of 838 teleseismic events (M > 5.5; epicenter distances of 30-90 degrees) recorded at 126 provincial seismic stations around the Tanlu fault zone in East China. Our results show that at depths < 150 km, high velocity (high-V) anomalies appear to the west of the Tanlu fault, whereas some low velocity (low-V) anomalies are visible to the east of the fault zone. Strong lateral heterogeneities are revealed along the fault zone. At depths of 230-470 km, to the northwest of the Tanlu fault, there are obvious low-V anomalies which may reflect hot and wet mantle upwelling, whereas to the east, some high-V anomalies are visible, which may reflect the detached Eurasian lithosphere. In the MTZ, both high-V and low-V anomalies are visible, and the widespread high-V anomalies may reflect the stagnant Pacific slab. Beneath the hypocenter of the 1668 Tancheng earthquake, a prominent low-V anomaly is revealed in the upper mantle down the MTZ depth, which may reflect upwelling flow of hot and wet materials. Fluids from the upwelling mantle flow may have played a key role in the generation of the Tancheng earthquake. Integrating with previous findings, our present results suggest that the Tancheng earthquake could be related to the sharp change in the Pacific slab geometry, the eastward retreat of the Pacific slab, as well as some slab-materials collapsing down to the lower mantle resulted from the gravity effect and/or phase transition, which may cause the low-V anomaly in the MTZ. This work is supported by NSFC (41530212 and 41674091).

Distribution and nature of fault architecture in a layered sandstone and shale sequence: An example from the Moab fault, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davatzes, N.C.; Aydin, A.

2005-01-01

We examined the distribution of fault rock and damage zone structures in sandstone and shale along the Moab fault, a basin-scale normal fault with nearly 1 km (0.62 mi) of throw, in southeast Utah. We find that fault rock and damage zone structures vary along strike and dip. Variations are related to changes in fault geometry, faulted slip, lithology, and the mechanism of faulting. In sandstone, we differentiated two structural assemblages: (1) deformation bands, zones of deformation bands, and polished slip surfaces and (2) joints, sheared joints, and breccia. These structural assemblages result from the deformation band-based mechanism and the joint-based mechanism, respectively. Along the Moab fault, where both types of structures are present, joint-based deformation is always younger. Where shale is juxtaposed against the fault, a third faulting mechanism, smearing of shale by ductile deformation and associated shale fault rocks, occurs. Based on the knowledge of these three mechanisms, we projected the distribution of their structural products in three dimensions along idealized fault surfaces and evaluated the potential effect on fluid and hydrocarbon flow. We contend that these mechanisms could be used to facilitate predictions of fault and damage zone structures and their permeability from limited data sets. Copyright ?? 2005 by The American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Quantitative analysis of a transpressional system, El Biod Arch, Ghadames Basin, Algeria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, S.R.; Krantz, R.W.; Akkache, K.

1996-12-31

Trap definition within the northern extension of the Hassi Touareg - Rhourde El Baguel fault zone in the western Ghadames Basin of Algeria is difficult due to complex structural geometries. The fault zone consists of a narrow system of discontinuous. locally en echelon faults. Although north-trending to the south, the zone curves to a northeast trend to the north. Reserves associated with the southern portion of the system total 1500 MMBOR and 2 TCFG. Several lines of evidence support a strike-slip component of motion for the northern segment. Horizontal slickensides have been described in cores taken from wells within themore » fault trend. Fracture patterns measured from logs taken within the NE-SW fault trend show clusters expected for right-lateral Reidel shears. Although complicated by all evaporate sequence at mid-level in the stratigraphic section, we interpret downward converging faults imaged on recent 2D seismic as positive flower profiles. Map patterns are also interpreted as right-lateral, recognizing that the 2D grid cannot resolve all of the structural complexity. To confirm the component of strike-slip fault displacement, we applied a new quantitative method relating map view structural orientations to the shear magnitude, the degree of convergence or divergence, and the magnitudes of horizontal and vertical strains. Strike-slip to convergence ratios ranging from 2:1 to 3:1 were measured in the study area. Higher ratios (10:1) measured above the salt may indicate a detachment. These ratios also fit the regional tectonic pattern: to the south, where the fault zone trends due north, structural geometries support dip-slip inversion indicative of east-west shortening. Applying the same shortening vector to the northeast-trending part of the zone suggests oblique right-lateral motion, with a strike-slip to convergence ratio of 2:1.« less

Quantitative analysis of a transpressional system, El Biod Arch, Ghadames Basin, Algeria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, S.R.; Krantz, R.W.; Akkache, K.

1996-01-01

Trap definition within the northern extension of the Hassi Touareg - Rhourde El Baguel fault zone in the western Ghadames Basin of Algeria is difficult due to complex structural geometries. The fault zone consists of a narrow system of discontinuous. locally en echelon faults. Although north-trending to the south, the zone curves to a northeast trend to the north. Reserves associated with the southern portion of the system total 1500 MMBOR and 2 TCFG. Several lines of evidence support a strike-slip component of motion for the northern segment. Horizontal slickensides have been described in cores taken from wells within themore » fault trend. Fracture patterns measured from logs taken within the NE-SW fault trend show clusters expected for right-lateral Reidel shears. Although complicated by all evaporate sequence at mid-level in the stratigraphic section, we interpret downward converging faults imaged on recent 2D seismic as positive flower profiles. Map patterns are also interpreted as right-lateral, recognizing that the 2D grid cannot resolve all of the structural complexity. To confirm the component of strike-slip fault displacement, we applied a new quantitative method relating map view structural orientations to the shear magnitude, the degree of convergence or divergence, and the magnitudes of horizontal and vertical strains. Strike-slip to convergence ratios ranging from 2:1 to 3:1 were measured in the study area. Higher ratios (10:1) measured above the salt may indicate a detachment. These ratios also fit the regional tectonic pattern: to the south, where the fault zone trends due north, structural geometries support dip-slip inversion indicative of east-west shortening. Applying the same shortening vector to the northeast-trending part of the zone suggests oblique right-lateral motion, with a strike-slip to convergence ratio of 2:1.« less

GPS-derived coupling estimates for the Central America subduction zone and volcanic arc faults: El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correa-Mora, F.; DeMets, C.; Alvarado, D.; Turner, H. L.; Mattioli, G.; Hernandez, D.; Pullinger, C.; Rodriguez, M.; Tenorio, C.

2009-12-01

We invert GPS velocities from 32 sites in El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua to estimate the rate of long-term forearc motion and distributions of interseismic coupling across the Middle America subduction zone offshore from these countries and faults in the Salvadoran and Nicaraguan volcanic arcs. A 3-D finite element model is used to approximate the geometries of the subduction interface and strike-slip faults in the volcanic arc and determine the elastic response to coupling across these faults. The GPS velocities are best fit by a model in which the forearc moves 14-16 mmyr-1 and has coupling of 85-100 per cent across faults in the volcanic arc, in agreement with the high level of historic and recent earthquake activity in the volcanic arc. Our velocity inversion indicates that coupling across the potentially seismogenic areas of the subduction interface is remarkably weak, averaging no more than 3 per cent of the plate convergence rate and with only two poorly resolved patches where coupling might be higher along the 550-km-long segment we modelled. Our geodetic evidence for weak subduction coupling disagrees with a seismically derived coupling estimate of 60 +/- 10 per cent from a published analysis of earthquake damage back to 1690, but agrees with three other seismologic studies that infer weak subduction coupling from 20th century earthquakes. Most large historical earthquakes offshore from El Salvador and western Nicaragua may therefore have been intraslab normal faulting events similar to the Mw 7.3 1982 and Mw 7.7 2001 earthquakes offshore from El Salvador. Alternatively, the degree of coupling might vary with time. The evidence for weak coupling indirectly supports a recently published hypothesis that much of the Middle American forearc is escaping to the west or northwest away from the Cocos Ridge collision zone in Costa Rica. Such a hypothesis is particularly attractive for El Salvador, where there is little or no convergence obliquity to drive the observed trench-parallel forearc motion.

Real-time inversions for finite fault slip models and rupture geometry based on high-rate GPS data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minson, Sarah E.; Murray, Jessica R.; Langbein, John O.; Gomberg, Joan S.

2015-01-01

We present an inversion strategy capable of using real-time high-rate GPS data to simultaneously solve for a distributed slip model and fault geometry in real time as a rupture unfolds. We employ Bayesian inference to find the optimal fault geometry and the distribution of possible slip models for that geometry using a simple analytical solution. By adopting an analytical Bayesian approach, we can solve this complex inversion problem (including calculating the uncertainties on our results) in real time. Furthermore, since the joint inversion for distributed slip and fault geometry can be computed in real time, the time required to obtain a source model of the earthquake does not depend on the computational cost. Instead, the time required is controlled by the duration of the rupture and the time required for information to propagate from the source to the receivers. We apply our modeling approach, called Bayesian Evidence-based Fault Orientation and Real-time Earthquake Slip, to the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake, 2003 Tokachi-oki earthquake, and a simulated Hayward fault earthquake. In all three cases, the inversion recovers the magnitude, spatial distribution of slip, and fault geometry in real time. Since our inversion relies on static offsets estimated from real-time high-rate GPS data, we also present performance tests of various approaches to estimating quasi-static offsets in real time. We find that the raw high-rate time series are the best data to use for determining the moment magnitude of the event, but slightly smoothing the raw time series helps stabilize the inversion for fault geometry.

Kinematics of the Torcal Shear Zone: transpressional tectonics shaping orogenic curves in the northern Gibraltar Arc.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barcos, Leticia; Balanyá, Juan Carlos; Díaz-Azpiroz, Manuel; Expósito, Inmaculada; Jiménez-Bonilla, Alejandro

2014-05-01

Structural trend line patterns of orogenic arcs depict diverse geometries resulting from multiple factors such as indenter geometry, thickness of pre-deformational sequences and rheology of major decollement surfaces. Within them, salient-recess transitions often result in transpressive deformation bands. The Gibraltar Arc results from the Neogene collision of a composite metamorphic terrane (Alboran Domain, acting as a relative backstop) against two foreland margins (Southiberian and Maghrebian Domains). Within it, the Western Gibraltar Arc (WGA) is a protruded salient, 200 km in length cord, closely coinciding with the apex zone of the major arc. The WGA terminates at two transpressional zones. The main structure in the northern (Betic) end zone is a 70 km long and 4-5 km wide brittle deformation band, the so-called Torcal Shear Zone (TSZ). The TSZ forms a W-E topographic alignment along which the kinematic data show an overall dextral transpression. Within the TSZ strain is highly partitioned into mainly shortening, extensional and strike-slip structures. The strain partitioning is heterogeneous along the band and, accordingly, four distinct sectors can be identified. i) The Peñarrubia-Almargen Transverse Zone (PATZ), located at the W-end of the TSZ presents WNW-ESE folds and dextral faults, together with normal faults that accommodate extension parallel to the dominant structural trend. WNW ESE dextral faults might be related with synthetic splays at the lateral end of the TSZ. ii) The Sierra del Valle de Abdalajís (SVA) is characterized by WSW-ENE trending folds and dextral-reverse faults dipping to SSE, and NW-SE normal faults. The southern boundary of the SVA is a dextral fault zone. iii) The Torcal de Antequera Massif (TAM) presents two types of structural domains. Two outer domains located at both margins characterized by E-W trending, dextral strike-slip structures, and an inner domain, characterized by en echelon SE-vergent open folds and reverse shear zones as well as normal faults accommodating fold axis parallel extension. iiii) The Sierra de las Cabras-Camorolos sector, located at the E-end of the TSZ, is divided into two structural domains: a western domain, dominated by N120ºE dextral strike-slip faults, and an eastern domain structured by a WSW-ENE thrust system and normal faults with extension subparallel to the direction of the shortening structures. TSZ displacement at the lateral tip of this sector seems to be mainly accommodated by NNE trending thrusts in the northern TSZ block. The TSZ induces the near vertical extrusion of paleomargin rock units within the deformation band and the dextral deflection of the structural trend shaping the lateral end of the WGA salient. Our results suggest the TSZ started in the Upper Miocene and is still active. Moreover, the TSZ trends oblique to regional transport direction assessed both by field data and modelling. The estimated WNW-ESE far-field velocity vector in the TAM and the SVA points to the importance of the westward drift of the Internal Zones relative to the external wedge and fits well with the overall WGA kinematic frame. Nor the WGA salient neither the TSZ can be fully explained by the single Europe-Africa plate convergence.

Surface faulting along the Superstition Hills fault zone and nearby faults associated with the earthquakes of 24 November 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sharp, R.V.

1989-01-01

The M6.2 Elmore Desert Ranch earthquake of 24 November 1987 was associated spatially and probably temporally with left-lateral surface rupture on many northeast-trending faults in and near the Superstition Hills in western Imperial Valley. Three curving discontinuous principal zones of rupture among these breaks extended northeastward from near the Superstition Hills fault zone as far as 9km; the maximum observed surface slip, 12.5cm, was on the northern of the three, the Elmore Ranch fault, at a point near the epicenter. Twelve hours after the Elmore Ranch earthquake, the M6.6 Superstition Hills earthquake occurred near the northwest end of the right-lateral Superstition Hills fault zone. We measured displacements over 339 days at as many as 296 sites along the Superstition Hills fault zone, and repeated measurements at 49 sites provided sufficient data to fit with a simple power law. The overall distributions of right-lateral displacement at 1 day and the estimated final slip are nearly symmetrical about the midpoint of the surface rupture. The average estimated final right-lateral slip for the Superstition Hills fault zone is ~54cm. The average left-lateral slip for the conjugate faults trending northeastward is ~23cm. The southernmost ruptured member of the Superstition Hills fault zone, newly named the Wienert fault, extends the known length of the zone by about 4km. -from Authors

The offshore Palos Verdes fault zone near San Pedro, Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, M.A.; Normark, W.R.; Langenheim, V.E.; Calvert, A.J.; Sliter, R.

2004-01-01

High-resolution seismic-reflection data are combined with a variety of other geophysical and geological data to interpret the offshore structure and earthquake hazards of the San Pedro shelf, near Los Angeles, California. Prominent structures investigated include the Wilmington graben, the Palos Verdes fault zone, various faults below the west part of the San Pedro shelf and slope, and the deep-water San Pedro basin. The structure of the Palos Verdes fault zone changes markedly along strike southeastward across the San Pedro shelf and slope. Under the north part of the shelf, this fault zone includes several strands, with the main strand dipping west. Under the slope, the main fault strands exhibit normal separation and mostly dip east. To the southeast near Lasuen Knoll, the Palos Verdes fault zone locally is low angle, but elsewhere near this knoll, the fault dips steeply. Fresh seafloor scarps near Lasuen Knoll indicate recent fault movement. We explain the observed structural variation along the Palos Verdes fault zone as the result of changes in strike and fault geometry along a master right-lateral strike-slip fault at depth. Complicated movement along this deep fault zone is suggested by the possible wave-cut terraces on Lasuen Knoll, which indicate subaerial exposure during the last sea level lowstand and subsequent subsidence of the knoll. Modeling of aeromagnetic data indicates a large magnetic body under the west part of the San Pedro shelf and upper slope. We interpret this body to be thick basalt of probable Miocene age. This basalt mass appears to have affected the pattern of rock deformation, perhaps because the basalt was more competent during deformation than the sedimentary rocks that encased the basalt. West of the Palos Verdes fault zone, other northwest-striking faults deform the outer shelf and slope. Evidence for recent movement along these faults is equivocal, because we lack age dates on deformed or offset sediment.

Crustal shortening and structural architecture of the Interandean and Subandean zones of southern Bolivia (21°S): Constraints from a new balanced cross section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, R. B.; Long, S. P.; Horton, B. K.; Calle, A.; Ramirez, V.

2015-12-01

Structural insights obtained from balanced cross sections, including thrust belt geometry, location of footwall ramps, and crustal shortening estimates, provide key information for testing model predictions of orogen dynamics (e.g., Cordilleran cyclicity, critical taper theory). New results from geologic mapping along an east-west transect in the central Andes are integrated with existing geophysical data to construct a balanced cross section across the Interandean (IAZ) and Subandean (SAZ) zones of southern Bolivia at 21°S, in order to define thrust belt geometry and estimate crustal shortening. The IAZ consists of a doubly vergent zone of 2-4 km-thick thrust sheets of mainly Silurian-Devonian rocks, which are structurally elevated ~10 km relative to equivalent SAZ levels to the east. Notably, our proposed IAZ geometry differs from published geometries that lack significant west-directed backthrusts. The SAZ is defined by regional-scale, fault-bend folds (10-20 km wavelength, 4-6 km amplitude) that exhume rocks as deep as Carboniferous above a 10-12 km-deep regional décollement in Silurian rocks. Previous studies have interpreted IAZ and SAZ shortening to be balanced by slip on two separate basement megathrust sheets at depth. We estimate 151 km (44%) of total east-west shortening in the IAZ (71 km) and SAZ (80 km), which is similar to a previous estimate (144 km, 42%). Importantly, our estimate of SAZ shortening restores the leading edge of the basement thrust sheet feeding displacement into the SAZ back to a corresponding footwall ramp that is constrained by a seismic reflection profile 90 km along strike to the south. Our shortening magnitudes are similar to nearby estimates to the north and south, which range between 60-86 km for the SAZ and 43-96 km for the IAZ. Future work will continue the cross section westward into the Eastern Cordillera hinterland, and explore potential variations in the geometry and style of basement deformation.

Interacting faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peacock, D. C. P.; Nixon, C. W.; Rotevatn, A.; Sanderson, D. J.; Zuluaga, L. F.

2017-04-01

The way that faults interact with each other controls fault geometries, displacements and strains. Faults rarely occur individually but as sets or networks, with the arrangement of these faults producing a variety of different fault interactions. Fault interactions are characterised in terms of the following: 1) Geometry - the spatial arrangement of the faults. Interacting faults may or may not be geometrically linked (i.e. physically connected), when fault planes share an intersection line. 2) Kinematics - the displacement distributions of the interacting faults and whether the displacement directions are parallel, perpendicular or oblique to the intersection line. Interacting faults may or may not be kinematically linked, where the displacements, stresses and strains of one fault influences those of the other. 3) Displacement and strain in the interaction zone - whether the faults have the same or opposite displacement directions, and if extension or contraction dominates in the acute bisector between the faults. 4) Chronology - the relative ages of the faults. This characterisation scheme is used to suggest a classification for interacting faults. Different types of interaction are illustrated using metre-scale faults from the Mesozoic rocks of Somerset and examples from the literature.

The Iceland Plate Boundary Zone: Propagating Rifts, Migrating Transforms, and Rift-Parallel Strike-Slip Faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karson, J. A.

2017-11-01

Unlike most of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the North America/Eurasia plate boundary in Iceland lies above sea level where magmatic and tectonic processes can be directly investigated in subaerial exposures. Accordingly, geologic processes in Iceland have long been recognized as possible analogs for seafloor spreading in the submerged parts of the mid-ocean ridge system. Combining existing and new data from across Iceland provides an integrated view of this active, mostly subaerial plate boundary. The broad Iceland plate boundary zone includes segmented rift zones linked by transform fault zones. Rift propagation and transform fault migration away from the Iceland hotspot rearrange the plate boundary configuration resulting in widespread deformation of older crust and reactivation of spreading-related structures. Rift propagation results in block rotations that are accommodated by widespread, rift-parallel, strike-slip faulting. The geometry and kinematics of faulting in Iceland may have implications for spreading processes elsewhere on the mid-ocean ridge system where rift propagation and transform migration occur.

A fault-based model for crustal deformation, fault slip-rates and off-fault strain rate in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zeng, Yuehua; Shen, Zheng-Kang

2016-01-01

We invert Global Positioning System (GPS) velocity data to estimate fault slip rates in California using a fault‐based crustal deformation model with geologic constraints. The model assumes buried elastic dislocations across the region using Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast Version 3 (UCERF3) fault geometries. New GPS velocity and geologic slip‐rate data were compiled by the UCERF3 deformation working group. The result of least‐squares inversion shows that the San Andreas fault slips at 19–22  mm/yr along Santa Cruz to the North Coast, 25–28  mm/yr along the central California creeping segment to the Carrizo Plain, 20–22  mm/yr along the Mojave, and 20–24  mm/yr along the Coachella to the Imperial Valley. Modeled slip rates are 7–16  mm/yr lower than the preferred geologic rates from the central California creeping section to the San Bernardino North section. For the Bartlett Springs section, fault slip rates of 7–9  mm/yr fall within the geologic bounds but are twice the preferred geologic rates. For the central and eastern Garlock, inverted slip rates of 7.5 and 4.9  mm/yr, respectively, match closely with the geologic rates. For the western Garlock, however, our result suggests a low slip rate of 1.7  mm/yr. Along the eastern California shear zone and southern Walker Lane, our model shows a cumulative slip rate of 6.2–6.9  mm/yr across its east–west transects, which is ∼1  mm/yr increase of the geologic estimates. For the off‐coast faults of central California, from Hosgri to San Gregorio, fault slips are modeled at 1–5  mm/yr, similar to the lower geologic bounds. For the off‐fault deformation, the total moment rate amounts to 0.88×1019  N·m/yr, with fast straining regions found around the Mendocino triple junction, Transverse Ranges and Garlock fault zones, Landers and Brawley seismic zones, and farther south. The overall California moment rate is 2.76×1019  N·m/yr, which is a 16% increase compared with the UCERF2 model.

Towards a Millennial Time-scale Vertical Deformation Field in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordovaos, P. A.; Johnson, K. M.

2015-12-01

Pete Bordovalos and Kaj M. Johnson To better understand the feedbacks between erosion and deformation in Taiwan, we need constraints on the millennial time-scale vertical field. Dense GPS and leveling data sets in Taiwan provide measurements of the present-day vertical deformation field over the entire Taiwan island. However, it is unclear how much of this vertical field is transient (varies over earthquake cycle) or steady (over millennial time scale). A deformation model is required to decouple transient from steady deformation. This study takes a look at how the 82 mm/yr of convergence motion between the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea plate is distributed across the faults on Taiwan. We build a plate flexure model that consists of all known active faults and subduction zones cutting through an elastic plate supported by buoyancy. We use horizontal and vertical GPS data, leveling data, and geologic surface uplift rates with a Monte Carlo probabilistic inversion method to infer fault slip rates and locking depths on all faults. Using our model we examine how different fault geometries influence the estimates of distribution of slip along faults and deformation patterns.

Segmentation of Slow Slip Events in South Central Alaska Possibly Controlled by a Subducted Oceanic Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Haotian; Wei, Meng; Li, Duo; Liu, Yajing; Kim, YoungHee; Zhou, Shiyong

2018-01-01

Recent GPS observations show that slow slip events in south central Alaska are segmented along strike. Here we review several mechanisms that might contribute to this segmentation and focus on two: along-strike variation of slab geometry and effective normal stress. We then test them by running numerical simulations in the framework of rate-and-state friction with a nonplanar fault geometry. Results show that the segmentation is most likely related to the along-strike variation of the effective normal stress on the fault plane caused by the Yakutat Plateau. The Yakutat Plateau could affect the effective normal stress by either lowering the pore pressure in Upper Cook Inlet due to less fluids release or increasing the normal stress due to the extra buoyancy caused by the subducted Yakutat Plateau. We prefer the latter explanation because it is consistent with the relative amplitudes of the effective normal stress in Upper and Lower Cook Inlet and there is very little along-strike variation in Vp/Vs ratio in the fault zone from receiver function analysis. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the difference in effective normal stress results from along-strike variation of pore pressure due to the uncertainties in the Vp/Vs estimates. Our work implies that a structural anomaly can have a long-lived effect on the subduction zone slip behavior and might be a driving factor on along-strike segmentation of slow slip events.

Structural architecture and tectonic evolution of the Maghara inverted basin, Northern Sinai, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moustafa, Adel R.

2014-05-01

Large NE-SW oriented asymmetric inversion anticlines bounded on their southeastern sides by reverse faults affect the exposed Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary rocks of the Maghara area (northern Sinai). Seismic data indicate an earlier Jurassic rifting phase and surface structures indicate Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary inversion phase. The geometry of the early extensional fault system clearly affected the sense of slip of the inverted faults and the geometry of the inversion anticlines. Rift-parallel fault segments were reactivated by reverse slip whereas rift-oblique fault segments were reactivated as oblique-slip faults or lateral/oblique ramps. New syn-inversion faults include two short conjugate strike-slip sets dissecting the forelimbs of inversion anticlines and the inverted faults as well as a set of transverse normal faults dissecting the backlimbs. Small anticline-syncline fold pairs ornamenting the steep flanks of the inversion anticlines are located at the transfer zones between en echelon segments of the inverted faults.

Thrust-wrench fault interference in a brittle medium: new insights from analogue modelling experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosas, Filipe; Duarte, Joao; Schellart, Wouter; Tomas, Ricardo; Grigorova, Vili; Terrinha, Pedro

2015-04-01

We present analogue modelling experimental results concerning thrust-wrench fault interference in a brittle medium, to try to evaluate the influence exerted by different prescribed interference angles in the formation of morpho-structural interference fault patterns. All the experiments were conceived to simulate simultaneous reactivation of confining strike-slip and thrust faults defining a (corner) zone of interference, contrasting with previously reported discrete (time and space) superposition of alternating thrust and strike-slip events. Different interference angles of 60°, 90° and 120° were experimentally investigated by comparing the specific structural configurations obtained in each case. Results show that a deltoid-shaped morpho-structural pattern is consistently formed in the fault interference (corner) zone, exhibiting a specific geometry that is fundamentally determined by the different prescribed fault interference angle. Such angle determines the orientation of the displacement vector shear component along the main frontal thrust direction, determining different fault confinement conditions in each case, and imposing a complying geometry and kinematics of the interference deltoid structure. Model comparison with natural examples worldwide shows good geometric and kinematic similarity, pointing to the existence of matching underlying dynamic process. Acknowledgments This work was sponsored by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through project MODELINK EXPL/GEO-GEO/0714/2013.

Dynamic rupture models of subduction zone earthquakes with off-fault plasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollherr, S.; van Zelst, I.; Gabriel, A. A.; van Dinther, Y.; Madden, E. H.; Ulrich, T.

2017-12-01

Modeling tsunami-genesis based on purely elastic seafloor displacement typically underpredicts tsunami sizes. Dynamic rupture simulations allow to analyse whether plastic energy dissipation is a missing rheological component by capturing the complex interplay of the rupture front, emitted seismic waves and the free surface in the accretionary prism. Strike-slip models with off-fault plasticity suggest decreasing rupture speed and extensive plastic yielding mainly at shallow depths. For simplified subduction geometries inelastic deformation on the verge of Coulomb failure may enhance vertical displacement, which in turn favors the generation of large tsunamis (Ma, 2012). However, constraining appropriate initial conditions in terms of fault geometry, initial fault stress and strength remains challenging. Here, we present dynamic rupture models of subduction zones constrained by long-term seismo-thermo-mechanical modeling (STM) without any a priori assumption of regions of failure. The STM model provides self-consistent slab geometries, as well as stress and strength initial conditions which evolve in response to tectonic stresses, temperature, gravity, plasticity and pressure (van Dinther et al. 2013). Coseismic slip and coupled seismic wave propagation is modelled using the software package SeisSol (www.seissol.org), suited for complex fault zone structures and topography/bathymetry. SeisSol allows for local time-stepping, which drastically reduces the time-to-solution (Uphoff et al., 2017). This is particularly important in large-scale scenarios resolving small-scale features, such as the shallow angle between the megathrust fault and the free surface. Our dynamic rupture model uses a Drucker-Prager plastic yield criterion and accounts for thermal pressurization around the fault mimicking the effect of pore pressure changes due to frictional heating. We first analyze the influence of this rheology on rupture dynamics and tsunamigenic properties, i.e. seafloor displacement, in 2D. Finally, we use the same rheology in a large-scale 3D scenario of the 2004 Sumatra earthquake to shed light to the source process that caused the subsequent devastating tsunami.

Morphologic dating of fault scarps using airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM) data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hilley, G.E.; Delong, S.; Prentice, C.; Blisniuk, K.; Arrowsmith, J.R.

2010-01-01

Models of fault scarp morphology have been previously used to infer the relative age of different fault scarps in a fault zone using labor-intensive ground surveying. We present a method for automatically extracting scarp morphologic ages within high-resolution digital topography. Scarp degradation is modeled as a diffusive mass transport process in the across-scarp direction. The second derivative of the modeled degraded fault scarp was normalized to yield the best-fitting (in a least-squared sense) scarp height at each point, and the signal-to-noise ratio identified those areas containing scarp-like topography. We applied this method to three areas along the San Andreas Fault and found correspondence between the mapped geometry of the fault and that extracted by our analysis. This suggests that the spatial distribution of scarp ages may be revealed by such an analysis, allowing the recent temporal development of a fault zone to be imaged along its length.

A Non-linear Geodetic Data Inversion Using ABIC for Slip Distribution on a Fault With an Unknown dip Angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukahata, Y.; Wright, T. J.

2006-12-01

We developed a method of geodetic data inversion for slip distribution on a fault with an unknown dip angle. When fault geometry is unknown, the problem of geodetic data inversion is non-linear. A common strategy for obtaining slip distribution is to first determine the fault geometry by minimizing the square misfit under the assumption of a uniform slip on a rectangular fault, and then apply the usual linear inversion technique to estimate a slip distribution on the determined fault. It is not guaranteed, however, that the fault determined under the assumption of a uniform slip gives the best fault geometry for a spatially variable slip distribution. In addition, in obtaining a uniform slip fault model, we have to simultaneously determine the values of the nine mutually dependent parameters, which is a highly non-linear, complicated process. Although the inverse problem is non-linear for cases with unknown fault geometries, the non-linearity of the problems is actually weak, when we can assume the fault surface to be flat. In particular, when a clear fault trace is observed on the EarthOs surface after an earthquake, we can precisely estimate the strike and the location of the fault. In this case only the dip angle has large ambiguity. In geodetic data inversion we usually need to introduce smoothness constraints in order to compromise reciprocal requirements for model resolution and estimation errors in a natural way. Strictly speaking, the inverse problem with smoothness constraints is also non-linear, even if the fault geometry is known. The non-linearity has been dissolved by introducing AkaikeOs Bayesian Information Criterion (ABIC), with which the optimal value of the relative weight of observed data to smoothness constraints is objectively determined. In this study, using ABIC in determining the optimal dip angle, we dissolved the non-linearity of the inverse problem. We applied the method to the InSAR data of the 1995 Dinar, Turkey earthquake and obtained a much shallower dip angle than before.

Linking fault pattern with groundwater flow in crystalline rocks at the Grimsel Test Site (Switzerland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneeberger, Raphael; Berger, Alfons; Mäder, Urs K.; Niklaus Waber, H.; Kober, Florian; Herwegh, Marco

2017-04-01

Water flow across crystalline bedrock is of major interest for deep-seated geothermal energy projects as well as for underground disposal of radioactive waste. In crystalline rocks enhanced fluid flow is related to zones of increased permeability, i.e. to fractures that are associated to fault zones. The flow regime around the Grimsel Test Site (GTS, Central Aar massif) was assessed by establishing a 3D fault zone pattern on a local scale in the GTS underground facility (deca-meter scale) and on a regional scale at the surface (km-scale). The study reveals the existence of a dense fault zone network consisting of several km long and few tens of cm to meter wide, sub-vertically oriented major faults that are connected by tens to hundreds of meters long minor bridging faults. This geometrical information was used as input for the generation of a 3D fault zone network model. The faults originate from ductile shear zones that were reactivated as brittle faults under retrograde conditions during exhumation. Embrittlement and associated dilatancy along the faults provide the pathways for today's groundwater flow. Detection of the actual 3D flow paths is, however, challenging since flow seem to be not planar but rather tube-like. Two strategies are applied to constrain the 3D geometry of the flow tubes: (i) Characterization of the groundwater infiltrating into the GTS (location, yield, hydraulic head, and chemical composition) and (ii) stress modelling on the base of the 3D structural model to unravel potential domains of enhanced fluid flow such as fault plane intersections and domains of dilatancy. At the Grimsel Test Site, hydraulic and structural data demonstrate that the groundwater flow is head-driven from the surface towards the GTS located some 450 m below the surface. The residence time of the groundwater in this surface-near section is >60 years as evidenced by absence of detectable tritium. However, hydraulic heads obtained from interval pressure measurements within boreholes are variable and do not correspond to the overburden above the interval. Underground mapping revealed close spatial relation between water inflow points and faults, major water inflows occur in strongly deformed areas of the GTS. Furthermore, persistent differences in the groundwater chemical composition between infiltration points indicate that connectivity between different water flow paths is poor. Different findings indicate complex flow path geometries. However, domains of enhanced dilatancy and domains with increased number of fault intersections correlate with areas in the underground with 'high' water inflow.

Late Quaternary Faulting along the San Juan de los Planes Fault Zone, Baja California Sur, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busch, M. M.; Coyan, J. A.; Arrowsmith, J.; Maloney, S. J.; Gutierrez, G.; Umhoefer, P. J.

2007-12-01

As a result of continued distributed deformation in the Gulf Extensional Province along an oblique-divergent plate margin, active normal faulting is well manifest in southeastern Baja California. By characterizing normal-fault related deformation along the San Juan de los Planes fault zone (SJPFZ) southwest of La Paz, Baja California Sur we contribute to understanding the patterns and rates of faulting along the southwest gulf-margin fault system. The geometry, history, and rate of faulting provide constraints on the relative significance of gulf-margin deformation as compared to axial system deformation. The SJPFZ is a major north-trending structure in the southern Baja margin along which we focused our field efforts. These investigations included: a detailed strip map of the active fault zone, including delineation of active scarp traces and geomorphic surfaces on the hanging wall and footwall; fault scarp profiles; analysis of bedrock structures to better understand how the pattern and rate of strain varied during the development of this fault zone; and a gravity survey across the San Juan de los Planes basin to determine basin geometry and fault behavior. The map covers a N-S swath from the Gulf of California in the north to San Antonio in the south, an area ~45km long and ~1-4km wide. Bedrock along the SJPFZ varies from Cretaceous Las Cruces Granite in the north to Cretaceous Buena Mujer Tonalite in the south and is scarred by shear zones and brittle faults. The active scarp-forming fault juxtaposes bedrock in the footwall against Late Quaternary sandstone-conglomerate. This ~20m wide zone is highly fractured bedrock infused with carbonate. The northern ~12km of the SJPFZ, trending 200°, preserves discontinuous scarps 1-2km long and 1-3m high in Quaternary units. The scarps are separated by stretches of bedrock embayed by hundreds of meters-wide tongues of Quaternary sandstone-conglomerate, implying low Quaternary slip rate. Further south, ~2 km north of the Los Planes highway, the fault steps to the right 2km with no overlap. The fault is inactive until ~3km south of the Los Planes highway where scarp heights in the Quaternary sediments rise to ~3-11m for ~11km with an average trend of 160°, implying increasing slip rate. The fault then steps left 2km with no overlap, trending 145°. Scarp heights range from 3-6m in the step. The southernmost 9km of the fault zone, trending 200°, is marked by discontinuous scarps and embayed bedrock, reflecting diminished fault activity. The footwall landscape in this area is characterized by a broad, gently-sloping, low-relief pediment surface with thin Quaternary cover, disrupted by inselberg-like hills. The young scarp-forming fault appears to have reactivated older faults to rupture this pediment, reflecting the episodic nature of slip along this fault zone. Preliminary OSL ages of the youngest faulted deposit imply a Late Pleistocene-Holocene slip rate of 0.1-1mm/yr. The SJPFZ is thus characterized by reactivation of pre-existing faults to rupture a pre-existing low relief erosional landscape. Whereas the entire region might have experienced the quiescent period that allowed for development of the low- relief, stable surface along the SJPFZ, we speculate that while the SJPFZ was dormant, other faults within the gulf-margin system were actively accommodating strain.

Spatiotemporal earthquake clusters along the North Anatolian fault zone offshore Istanbul

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bulut, Fatih; Ellsworth, William L.; Bohnhoff, Marco; Aktar, Mustafa; Dresen, Georg

2011-01-01

We investigate earthquakes with similar waveforms in order to characterize spatiotemporal microseismicity clusters within the North Anatolian fault zone (NAFZ) in northwest Turkey along the transition between the 1999 ??zmit rupture zone and the Marmara Sea seismic gap. Earthquakes within distinct activity clusters are relocated with cross-correlation derived relative travel times using the double difference method. The spatiotemporal distribution of micro earthquakes within individual clusters is resolved with relative location accuracy comparable to or better than the source size. High-precision relative hypocenters define the geometry of individual fault patches, permitting a better understanding of fault kinematics and their role in local-scale seismotectonics along the region of interest. Temporal seismic sequences observed in the eastern Sea of Marmara region suggest progressive failure of mostly nonoverlapping areas on adjacent fault patches and systematic migration of microearthquakes within clusters during the progressive failure of neighboring fault patches. The temporal distributions of magnitudes as well as the number of events follow swarmlike behavior rather than a mainshock/aftershock pattern.

How geometrical constraints contribute to the weakness of mature faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lockner, D.A.; Byerlee, J.D.

1993-01-01

Increasing evidence that the San Andreas fault has low shear strength1 has fuelled considerable discussion regarding the role of fluid pressure in controlling fault strength. Byerlee2,3 and Rice4 have shown how fluid pressure gradients within a fault zone can produce a fault with low strength while avoiding hydraulic fracture of the surrounding rock due to excessive fluid pressure. It may not be widely realised, however, that the same analysis2-4 shows that even in the absence of fluids, the presence of a relatively soft 'gouge' layer surrounded by harder country rock can also reduce the effective shear strength of the fault. As shown most recently by Byerlee and Savage5, as the shear stress across a fault increases, the stress state within the fault zone evolves to a limiting condition in which the maximum shear stress within the fault zone is parallel to the fault, which then slips with a lower apparent coefficient of friction than the same material unconstrained by the fault. Here we confirm the importance of fault geometry in determining the apparent weakness of fault zones, by showing that the apparent friction on a sawcut granite surface can be predicted from the friction measured in intact rock, given only the geometrical constraints introduced by the fault surfaces. This link between the sliding friction of faults and the internal friction of intact rock suggests a new approach to understanding the microphysical processes that underlie friction in brittle materials.

Exploring uncertainties in probabilistic seismic hazard estimates for Quito

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beauval, Celine; Yepes, Hugo; Audin, Laurence; Alvarado, Alexandra; Nocquet, Jean-Mathieu

2016-04-01

In the present study, probabilistic seismic hazard estimates at 475 years return period for Quito, capital city of Ecuador, show that the crustal host zone is the only source zone that determines the city's hazard levels for such return period. Therefore, the emphasis is put on identifying the uncertainties characterizing the host zone, i.e. uncertainties in the recurrence of earthquakes expected in the zone and uncertainties on the ground motions that these earthquakes may produce. As the number of local strong-ground motions is still scant, ground-motion prediction equations are imported from other regions. Exploring recurrence models for the host zone based on different observations and assumptions, and including three GMPE candidates (Akkar and Bommer 2010, Zhao et al. 2006, Boore and Atkinson 2008), we obtain a significant variability on the estimated acceleration at 475 years (site coordinates: -78.51 in longitude and -0.2 in latitude, VS30 760 m/s): 1) Considering historical earthquake catalogs, and relying on frequency-magnitude distributions where rates for magnitudes 6-7 are extrapolated from statistics of magnitudes 4.5-6.0 mostly in the 20th century, the acceleration at the PGA varies between 0.28g and 0.55g with a mean value around 0.4g. The results show that both the uncertainties in the GMPE choice and in the seismicity model are responsible for this variability. 2) Considering slip rates inferred form geodetic measurements across the Quito fault system, and assuming that most of the deformation occurs seismically (conservative hypothesis), leads to a much greater range of accelerations, 0.43 to 0.73g for the PGA (with a mean of 0.55g). 3) Considering slip rates inferred from geodetic measurements, and assuming that 50% only of the deformation is released in earthquakes (partially locked fault, model based on 15 years of GPS data), leads to a range of accelerations 0.32g to 0.58g for the PGA, with a mean of 0.42g. These accelerations are in agreement with the catalog-based hazard estimates. 4) Restricting the occurrence of magnitudes 6 to 7 to the Quito fault (a simplified geometry), applying the three initial GMPEs (Akkar and Bommer 2010, Zhao et al. 2006, Boore and Atkinson 2008) or GMPEs including a hanging-wall coefficient (Abrahamson and Silva 2008, Chiou and Youngs 2008), increases the hazard by 20 to 40% at sites located above the fault plane (range 0.42g to 0.68g at the considered site). Strong hypothesis are required to define a simple fault plane and to define the recurrence of earthquakes on this fault plane, therefore these results must be taken with great caution. However they demonstrate that taking into account faults in hazard calculations can have a major impact. Modeling the recurrence based on the past earthquake catalog, and relying on an areal source zone model, gives a mean value around 0.4g for the PGA at 475 years in Quito. This mean value is for a site on rock and site effects need to be further taken into account. Nonetheless, based on various exercises, we show that if taking into account the fault itself in the hazard calculations, much higher values can be obtained for sites located above the fault.

Deep heterogeneous structure of active faults in the Kinki region, southwest Japan: Inversion analysis of coda envelopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishigami, K.

2006-12-01

It is essential to estimate the deep structure of active faults related to the earthquake rupture process as well as the crustal structure related to the propagation of seismic waves, in order to improve the accuracy of estimating strong ground motion caused by future large inland earthquakes. In the Kinki region, southwest Japan, there are several active fault zones near large cities such as Osaka and Kyoto, and the evaluation of realistic strong ground motion is an important subject. We have been carrying out the Special Project for Earthquake Disaster Mitigation in Urban Areas, in the Kinki region for these purposes. In this presentation we will show the result of estimating the fault structure model of the Biwako-seigan, Hanaore, and Arima- Takatsuki fault zones. We estimated a 3-D distribution of relative scattering coefficients in the Kinki region, also in the vicinity of each active fault zone, by inversion of coda envelopes from local earthquakes. We analyzed 758 seismograms from 52 events which occurred in 2003, recorded at 50 stations of Kyoto Univ., Hi- net, and JMA. The preliminary result shows that active fault zones can be imaged as higher scattering than the surroundings. Based on previous studies of scattering properties in the crust, we consider that the relatively weaker scattering (namely more homogeneous) part on the fault plane may act as an asperity during future large earthquakes, and also that the part with relatively stronger scattering (namely more heterogeneous part) may become an initiation point of rupture. We are also studying the detailed distribution of microearthquakes, b-values, and velocity anomalies along these active fault zones. Combining these results, we will construct a possible fault model for each of the active fault zones. This study is sponsored by the Special Project for Earthquake Disaster Mitigation in Urban Areas from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

Basin geometry and cumulative offsets in the Eastern Transverse Ranges, southern California: Implications for transrotational deformation along the San Andreas fault system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Powell, R.E.

2009-01-01

The Eastern Transverse Ranges, adjacent to and southeast of the big left bend of the San Andreas fault, southern California, form a crustal block that has rotated clockwise in response to dextral shear within the San Andreas system. Previous studies have indicated a discrepancy between the measured magnitudes of left slip on through-going east-striking fault zones of the Eastern Transverse Ranges and those predicted by simple geometric models using paleomagnetically determined clockwise rotations of basalts distributed along the faults. To assess the magnitude and source of this discrepancy, we apply new gravity and magnetic data in combination with geologic data to better constrain cumulative fault offsets and to define basin structure for the block between the Pinto Mountain and Chiriaco fault zones. Estimates of offset from using the length of pull-apart basins developed within left-stepping strands of the sinistral faults are consistent with those derived by matching offset magnetic anomalies and bedrock patterns, indicating a cumulative offset of at most ???40 km. The upper limit of displacements constrained by the geophysical and geologic data overlaps with the lower limit of those predicted at the 95% confidence level by models of conservative slip located on margins of rigid rotating blocks and the clockwise rotation of the paleomagnetic vectors. Any discrepancy is likely resolved by internal deformation within the blocks, such as intense deformation adjacent to the San Andreas fault (that can account for the absence of basins there as predicted by rigid-block models) and linkage via subsidiary faults between the main faults. ?? 2009 Geological Society of America.

High-resolution mapping of two large-scale transpressional fault zones in the California Continental Borderland: Santa Cruz-Catalina Ridge and Ferrelo faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Legg, Mark R.; Kohler, Monica D.; Shintaku, Natsumi; Weeraratne, Dayanthie S.

2015-05-01

New mapping of two active transpressional fault zones in the California Continental Borderland, the Santa Cruz-Catalina Ridge fault and the Ferrelo fault, was carried out to characterize their geometries, using over 4500 line-km of new multibeam bathymetry data collected in 2010 combined with existing data. Faults identified from seafloor morphology were verified in the subsurface using existing seismic reflection data including single-channel and multichannel seismic profiles compiled over the past three decades. The two fault systems are parallel and are capable of large lateral offsets and reverse slip during earthquakes. The geometry of the fault systems shows evidence of multiple segments that could experience throughgoing rupture over distances exceeding 100 km. Published earthquake hypocenters from regional seismicity studies further define the lateral and depth extent of the historic fault ruptures. Historical and recent focal mechanisms obtained from first-motion and moment tensor studies confirm regional strain partitioning dominated by right slip on major throughgoing faults with reverse-oblique mechanisms on adjacent structures. Transpression on west and northwest trending structures persists as far as 270 km south of the Transverse Ranges; extension persists in the southern Borderland. A logjam model describes the tectonic evolution of crustal blocks bounded by strike-slip and reverse faults which are restrained from northwest displacement by the Transverse Ranges and the southern San Andreas fault big bend. Because of their potential for dip-slip rupture, the faults may also be capable of generating local tsunamis that would impact Southern California coastlines, including populated regions in the Channel Islands.

Seismic Evidence of A Widely Distributed West Napa Fault Zone, Hendry Winery, Napa, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldman, M.; Catchings, R.; Chan, J. H.; Criley, C.

2015-12-01

Following the 24 August 2014 Mw 6.0 South Napa earthquake, surface rupture was mapped along the West Napa Fault Zone (WNFZ) for a distance of ~ 14 km and locally within zones up to ~ 2 km wide. Near the northern end of the surface rupture, however, several strands coalesced to form a narrow, ~100-m-wide zone of surface rupture. To determine the location, width, and shallow (upper few hundred meters) geometry of the fault zone, we acquired an active-source seismic survey across the northern surface rupture in February 2015. We acquired both P- and S-wave data, from which we developed reflection images and tomographic images of Vp, Vs, Vp/Vs, and Poisson's ratio of the upper 100 m. We also used small explosive charges within surface ruptures located ~600 m north of our seismic array to record fault-zone guided waves. Our data indicate that at the latitude of the Hendry Winery, the WNFZ is characterized by at least five fault traces that are spaced 60 to 200 m apart. Zones of low-Vs, low-Vp/Vs, and disrupted reflectors highlight the fault traces on the tomography and reflection images. On peak-ground-velocity (PGV) plots, the most pronounced high-amplitude guided-wave seismic energy coincides precisely with the mapped surface ruptures, and the guided waves also show discrete high PGV zones associated with unmapped fault traces east of the surface ruptures. Although the surface ruptures of the WNFZ were observed only over a 100-m-wide zone at the Hendry Winery, our data indicate that the fault zone is at least 400 m wide, which is probably a minimum width given the 400-m length of our seismic profile. Slip on the WNFZ is generally considered to be low relative to most other Bay Area faults, but we suggest that the West Napa Fault is a zone of widely distributed shear, and to fully account for the total slip on the WNFZ, slip on all traces of this wide fault zone must be considered.

Implications of Preliminary Gravity and Magnetic Surveys to the Understanding of the Bartlett Springs Fault Zone, Northern California Coast Ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langenheim, V. E.; Jachens, R. C.; Morin, R. L.; McCabe, C. M.; Page, W. D.

2007-12-01

We use new gravity and magnetic data in the Lake Pillsbury region to help understand the geometry and character of the Bartlett Springs fault zone, one of the three main strands of the San Andreas system north of the San Francisco Bay area. We collected 153 new gravity stations in the Lake Pillsbury region that complement the sparse regional dataset and are used to estimate the thickness of Quaternary deposits in the inferred Gravelly Valley (Lake Pillsbury) pull-apart basin. We also collected 38 line-km of ground magnetic data on roads and 65 line-km by boat on the lake to supplement regional aeromagnetic surveys and to map concealed fault strands beneath the lake. The new gravity data show a significant northwest-striking gravity gradient at the base of which lies the Bartlett Springs fault zone. Superposed on this major east-facing gravity gradient is a 5 mGal low centered on Lake Pillsbury and Gravelly Valley. Inversion of the gravity field for basin thickness assuming a density contrast of 400 kg/m3 indicates the deepest part of the basin is about 400 m and located in the northern part of the valley, although the inversion lacks gravity stations within the lake. The basin is about 3 km wide and 5 km long and basin edges coincide with strands of the Bartlett Springs fault zone. Our gravity data suggest that Potter Valley, which lies between the Maacama and Bartlett Springs faults, is also as much as 400 m deep in the southern part of the valley, although additional data west of the valley would better isolate the gravity low. Geomorphologic characteristics of the valley suggest that this structure has been quiescent during the late Quaternary. Ground magnetic data are very noisy but the data in conjunction with 9.6 km-spaced NURE aeromagnetic lines suggest that regional analog aeromagnetic data flown in 1962 may suffer from location errors. The regional and NURE data show a northwest-striking magnetic high that extends across Lake Pillsbury. The northeast edge of this anomaly, caused by ultramafic rocks, coincides with the Bartlett Springs fault zone for nearly 15 km. Lake magnetic data indicate as many as three right-stepping strands of the Bartlett Springs fault zone within the gravity- defined pull-apart basin. Two pairs of magnetic anomalies appear to be dextrally offset along the fault, arguing for about 8-9 km of cumulative offset on the fault since the passage of the triple junction at about 3.5 Ma. This estimate is similar to proposed offsets of the Eel River (8.6-10.9 km) at Lake Pillsbury. The minimum long-term slip rate is thus 2.3-3.1 mm/yr, considerably slower than geodetic rates of 5-8 mm/yr. Seismicity forms a 5-km-wide diffuse zone along the Bartlett Springs fault zone in the Lake Pillsbury area, with fewer earthquakes about 5 km northwest of the lake and its associated magnetic anomaly. The McCreary Glade seismicity lineament, located between Potter Valley and Lake Pillsbury, has been attributed to a dike intrusion at depth or reactivation of an older structure. These earthquakes coincide with the northeast edge of a 100-km-long belt of aeromagnetic anomalies and thus appear to have reactivated an older basement feature. The coincidence of the Bartlett Springs fault zone and significant gravity gradients also argues that the much younger fault zone has reactivated older basement features. Our analysis shows that a modern, high-resolution aeromagnetic survey is needed to confirm these preliminary interpretations.

From Extension to Transcurrence: Regime Transition as a new key to Interpret Seismogenesis in the Southern Apennines (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fracassi, U.; Vannoli, P.; Burrato, P.; Basili, R.; Tiberti, M. M.; di Bucci, D.; Valensise, G.

2006-12-01

The backbone of the Southern Apennines is perhaps the largest seismic moment release area in Italy. The region is dominated by an extensional regime dating back to the Middle Pleistocene, with maximum extension striking SW-NE (i.e. orthogonal to the mountain belt). The full length (~ 200 km) of the mountain range has been the locus of several destructive earthquakes occurring in the uppermost 10-12 km of the crust. This seismicity is due to a well documented normal faulting mechanism. Instrumental earthquakes (e.g. 5 May 1990, 31 Oct 2002, 1 Nov 2002; all M 5.8) that have occurred in the foreland, east of the Southern Apennines, have posed new questions concerning seismogenic processes in southern Italy. Although of moderate magnitude, these events unveiled the presence of E-W striking, deeper (13-25 km) strike-slip faults. Recent studies suggest that these less known faults belong to inherited shear zones with a multi-phase tectonic history, the most recent phase being a right-lateral reactivation. The direction of the maximum horizontal extension of these faults (in a transcurrent regime) coincides with the maximum horizontal extension in the core of the Southern Apennines (in an extensional regime) and both are compatible with the general framework provided by the Africa-Europe convergence. However, the regional extent along strike of the E-W shear zones poses the issue of their continuity from the foreland towards the thrust-belt. The 1456 (M 6.9) and 1930 (M 6.7) earthquakes, that occurred just east of the main extensional axis, were caused by faults having a strike intermediate between the E-W, deeper strike-slip faults in the foreland and the NW-SE-trending, shallower normal faults in the extensional belt. Hence, the location and geometry of these seismogenic sources suggests that there could be a transition zone between the crustal volumes affected by the extensional and transcurrent regimes. To image such transition, we built a 3D model that incorporates data available from surface and subsurface geology (published and unpublished), seismogenic faults, seismicity, focal mechanisms, and gravity anomalies. We explored the mechanisms of fault interaction in the Southern Apennines between the extensional upper portion and the transcurrent deeper portion of the seismogenic layer. In particular, we studied (a) how the reactivation of regional shear zones interacts with an adjacent, although structurally independent, extensional belt; (b) at what depth range the interaction occurs; and (c1) whether oblique slip in earthquakes like the 1930 event is merely due to the geometry of the causative fault, or (c2) such geometry and kinematics are the result of oblique slip due to fault interaction. We propose that (a) the 1456 and 1930 earthquakes are the expression of the transition between the two tectonic regimes, and that (b) these events can be seen as templates of the seismogenic oblique-slip faulting that occurs at intermediate depths between the shallower extensional faults and the deeper strike-slip faults. These findings suggest that a transtensional faulting mechanism governs the release of major earthquakes in the transition zone between extensional and transcurrent domains.

The architecture and frictional properties of faults in shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Paola, Nicola; Murray, Rosanne; Stillings, Mark; Imber, Jonathan; Holdsworth, Robert

2015-04-01

The geometry of brittle fault zones and associated fracture patterns in shale rocks, as well as their frictional properties at reservoir conditions, are still poorly understood. Nevertheless, these factors may control the very low recovery factors (25% for gas and 5% for oil) obtained during fracking operations. Extensional brittle fault zones (maximum displacement ≤ 3 m) cut exhumed oil mature black shales in the Cleveland Basin (UK). Fault cores up to 50 cm wide accommodated most of the displacement, and are defined by a stair-step geometry, controlled by the reactivation of en-echelon, pre-existing joints in the protolith. Cores typically show a poorly developed damage zone, up to 25 cm wide, and sharp contact with the protolith rocks. Their internal architecture is characterised by four distinct fault rock domains: foliated gouges; breccias; hydraulic breccias; and a slip zone up to 20 mm thick, composed of a fine-grained black gouge. Hydraulic breccias are located within dilational jogs with aperture of up to 20 cm, composed of angular clasts of reworked fault and protolith rock, dispersed within a sparry calcite cement. Velocity-step and slide-hold-slide experiments at sub-seismic slip rates (microns/s) were performed in a rotary shear apparatus under dry, water and brine-saturated conditions, for displacements of up to 46 cm. Both the protolith shale and the slip zone black gouge display shear localization, velocity strengthening behaviour and negative healing rates. Experiments at seismic slip rates (1.3 m/s), performed on the same materials under dry conditions, show that after initial friction values of 0.5-0.55, friction decreases to steady-state values of 0.1-0.15 within the first 10 mm of slip. Contrastingly, water/brine saturated gouge mixtures, exhibit almost instantaneous attainment of very low steady-state sliding friction (0.1). Our field observations show that brittle fracturing and cataclastic flow are the dominant deformation mechanisms in the fault core of shale faults, where slip localization may lead to the development of a thin slip zone made of very fine-grained gouges. The velocity-strengthening behaviour and negative healing rates observed during our laboratory experiments, suggest that slow, stable sliding faulting should take place within the protolith rocks and slip zone gouges. This behaviour will cause slow fault/fracture propagation, affecting the rate at which new fracture areas are created and, hence, limiting oil and gas production during reservoir stimulation. During slipping events, fluid circulation may be very effective along the fault zone at dilational jogs - where oil and gas production should be facilitated by the creation of large fracture areas - and rather restricted in the adjacent areas of the protolith, due to the lack of a well-developed damage zone and the low permeability of the matrix and slip zone gouge. Finally, our experiments performed at seismic slip rates show that seismic ruptures may still be able to propagate in a very efficient way within the slip zone of fluid-saturated shale faults, due to the attainment of instantaneous weakening.

Impact of pre- and/or syn-tectonic salt layers in the hangingwall geometry of a kinked-planar extensional fault: insights from analogue modelling and comparison with the Parentis basin (bay of Biscay)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrer, O.; Vendeville, B. C.; Roca, E.

2012-04-01

Using sandbox analogue modelling we determine the role played by a pre-kinematic or a syn-kinematic viscous salt layer during rollover folding of the hangingwall of a normal fault with a variable kinked-planar geometry, as well as understand the origin and the mechanisms that control the formation, kinematic evolution and geometry of salt structures developed in the hangingwall of this fault. The experiments we conducted consisted of nine models made of dry quartz-sand (35μm average grain size) simulating brittle rocks and a viscous silicone polymer (SMG 36 from Dow Corning) simulating salt in nature. The models were constructed between two end walls, one of which was fixed, whereas the other was moved by a motor-driven worm screw. The fixed wall was part of the rigid footwall of the model's master border fault. This fault was simulated using three different wood block configurations, which was overlain by a flexible (but not stretchable) sheet that was attached to the mobile endwall of the model. We applied three different infill hangingwall configurations to each fault geometry: (1) without silicone (sand only), (2) sand overlain by a pre-kinematic silicone layer deposited above the entire hanginwall, and (3) sand partly overlain by a syn-kinematic silicone layer that overlain only parts of the hangingwall. All models were subjected to a 14 cm of basement extension in a direction orthogonal to that of the border fault. Results show that the presence of a viscous layer (silicone) clearly controls the deformation pattern of the hangingwall. Thus, regardless of the silicone layer's geometry (either pre- or syn-extensional) or the geometry of the extensional fault, the silicone layer acts as a very efficient detachment level separating two different structural styles in each unit. In particular, the silicone layer acts as an extensional ductile shear zone inhibiting upward propagation of normal faults and/or shears bands from the sub-silicone layers. Whereas the basement is affected by antithetic normal faults that are more or less complex depending on the geometry of the master fault, the lateral flow of the silicone produces salt-cored anticlines, walls and diapirs in the overburden of the hangingwall. The mechanical behavior of the silicone layer as an extensional shear zone, combined with the lateral changes in pressure gradients due to overburden thickness changes, triggered the silicone migration from the half-graben depocenter towards the rollover shoulder. As a result, the accumulation of silicone produces gentle silicone-cored anticlines and local diapirs with minor extensional faults. Upwards fault propagation from the sub-silicone "basement" to the supra-silicone unit only occurs either when the supra- and sub-silicone materials are welded, or when the amount of slip along the master fault is large enough so that the tip of the silicone reaches the junction between the upper and lower panels of the master faults. Comparison between the results of these models with data from the western offshore Parentis Basin (Eastern Bay of Biscay) validates the structural interpretation of this region.

Regional Survey of Structural Properties and Cementation Patterns of Fault Zones in the Northern Part of the Albuquerque Basin, New Mexico - Implications for Ground-Water Flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minor, Scott A.; Hudson, Mark R.

2006-01-01

Motivated by the need to document and evaluate the types and variability of fault zone properties that potentially affect aquifer systems in basins of the middle Rio Grande rift, we systematically characterized structural and cementation properties of exposed fault zones at 176 sites in the northern Albuquerque Basin. A statistical analysis of measurements and observations evaluated four aspects of the fault zones: (1) attitude and displacement, (2) cement, (3) lithology of the host rock or sediment, and (4) character and width of distinctive structural architectural components at the outcrop scale. Three structural architectural components of the fault zones were observed: (1) outer damage zones related to fault growth; these zones typically contain deformation bands, shear fractures, and open extensional fractures, which strike subparallel to the fault and may promote ground-water flow along the fault zone; (2) inner mixed zones composed of variably entrained, disrupted, and dismembered blocks of host sediment; and (3) central fault cores that accommodate most shear strain and in which persistent low- permeability clay-rich rocks likely impede the flow of water across the fault. The lithology of the host rock or sediment influences the structure of the fault zone and the width of its components. Different grain-size distributions and degrees of induration of the host materials produce differences in material strength that lead to variations in width, degree, and style of fracturing and other fault-related deformation. In addition, lithology of the host sediment appears to strongly control the distribution of cement in fault zones. Most faults strike north to north-northeast and dip 55? - 77? east or west, toward the basin center. Most faults exhibit normal slip, and many of these faults have been reactivated by normal-oblique and strike slip. Although measured fault displacements have a broad range, from 0.9 to 4,000 m, most are <100 m, and fault zones appear to have formed mainly at depths less than 1,000 m. Fault zone widths do not exceed 40 m (median width = 15.5 m). The mean width of fault cores (0.1 m) is nearly one order of magnitude less than that of mixed zones (0.75 m) and two orders of magnitude less than that of damage zones (9.7 m). Cements, a proxy for localized flow of ancient ground water, are common along fault zones in the basin. Silica cements are limited to faults that are near and strike north to northwest toward the Jemez volcanic field north of the basin, whereas carbonate fault cements are widely distributed. Coarse sediments (gravel and sand) host the greatest concentrations of cement within fault zones. Cements fill some extension fractures and, to a lesser degree, are concentrated along shear fractures and deformation bands within inner damage zones. Cements are commonly concentrated in mixed zones and inner damage zones on one side of a fault and thus are asymmetrically distributed within a fault zone, but cement does not consistently lie on the basinward side of faults. From observed spatial patterns of asymmetrically distributed fault zone cements, we infer that ancient ground-water flow was commonly localized along, and bounded by, faults in the basin. It is apparent from our study that the Albuquerque Basin contains a high concentration of faults. The geometry of, internal structure of, and cement and clay distribution in fault zones have created and will continue to create considerable heterogeneity of permeability within the basin aquifers. The characteristics and statistical range of fault zone features appear to be predictable and consistent throughout the basin; this predictability can be used in ground-water flow simulations that consider the influence of faults.

Three-dimensional models of deformation near strike-slip faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Katzman, Rafael; Lin, J.

1996-01-01

We use three-dimensional elastic models to help guide the kinematic interpretation of crustal deformation associated with strike-slip faults. Deformation of the brittle upper crust in the vicinity of strike-slip fault systems is modeled with the assumption that upper crustal deformation is driven by the relative plate motion in the upper mantle. The driving motion is represented by displacement that is specified on the bottom of a 15-km-thick elastic upper crust everywhere except in a zone of finite width in the vicinity of the faults, which we term the "shear zone." Stress-free basal boundary conditions are specified within the shear zone. The basal driving displacement is either pure strike slip or strike slip with a small oblique component, and the geometry of the fault system includes a single fault, several parallel faults, and overlapping en echelon faults. We examine the variations in deformation due to changes in the width of the shear zone and due to changes in the shear strength of the faults. In models with weak faults the width of the shear zone has a considerable effect on the surficial extent and amplitude of the vertical and horizontal deformation and on the amount of rotation around horizontal and vertical axes. Strong fault models have more localized deformation at the tip of the faults, and the deformation is partly distributed outside the fault zone. The dimensions of large basins along strike-slip faults, such as the Rukwa and Dead Sea basins, and the absence of uplift around pull-apart basins fit models with weak faults better than models with strong faults. Our models also suggest that the length-to-width ratio of pull-apart basins depends on the width of the shear zone and the shear strength of the faults and is not constant as previously suggested. We show that pure strike-slip motion can produce tectonic features, such as elongate half grabens along a single fault, rotated blocks at the ends of parallel faults, or extension perpendicular to overlapping en echelon faults, which can be misinterpreted to indicate a regional component of extension. Zones of subsidence or uplift can become wider than expected for transform plate boundaries when a minor component of oblique motion is added to a system of parallel strike-slip faults.

Three-dimensional models of deformation near strike-slip faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Katzman, Rafael; Lin, Jian

1996-01-01

We use three-dimensional elastic models to help guide the kinematic interpretation of crustal deformation associated with strike-slip faults. Deformation of the brittle upper crust in the vicinity of strike-slip fault systems is modeled with the assumption that upper crustal deformation is driven by the relative plate motion in the upper mantle. The driving motion is represented by displacement that is specified on the bottom of a 15-km-thick elastic upper crust everywhere except in a zone of finite width in the vicinity of the faults, which we term the “shear zone.” Stress-free basal boundary conditions are specified within the shear zone. The basal driving displacement is either pure strike slip or strike slip with a small oblique component, and the geometry of the fault system includes a single fault, several parallel faults, and overlapping en echelon faults. We examine the variations in deformation due to changes in the width of the shear zone and due to changes in the shear strength of the faults. In models with weak faults the width of the shear zone has a considerable effect on the surficial extent and amplitude of the vertical and horizontal deformation and on the amount of rotation around horizontal and vertical axes. Strong fault models have more localized deformation at the tip of the faults, and the deformation is partly distributed outside the fault zone. The dimensions of large basins along strike-slip faults, such as the Rukwa and Dead Sea basins, and the absence of uplift around pull-apart basins fit models with weak faults better than models with strong faults. Our models also suggest that the length-to-width ratio of pull-apart basins depends on the width of the shear zone and the shear strength of the faults and is not constant as previously suggested. We show that pure strike-slip motion can produce tectonic features, such as elongate half grabens along a single fault, rotated blocks at the ends of parallel faults, or extension perpendicular to overlapping en echelon faults, which can be misinterpreted to indicate a regional component of extension. Zones of subsidence or uplift can become wider than expected for transform plate boundaries when a minor component of oblique motion is added to a system of parallel strike-slip faults.

Unravelling the structural control of mississippi valley-type deposits and prospects in carbonate sequences of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pana, D.

2006-01-01

Re-examination of selected MVT outcrops and cores in the Interior Plains and Rocky Moun-tains of Alberta, corroborated with previous paragenetic, isotopic and structural data, suggests Laramide structural channelling of dolomitizing and mineralizing fluids into strained carbonate rocks. At Pine Point, extensional faults underlying the trends of MVT ore bodies and brittle faults overprinting the Great Slave Lake Shear Zone define apinnate fault geometry and appear to be kinematically linked. Chemical and isotopic characteristics of MVT parental fluids are consistent with seawater and brine convection within fault-confined verticalaquifers, strong water-basement rock interaction, metalleaching from the basement, and focused release of hydrothermal fluids within linear zones of strained carbonate caprocks. Zones of recurrent strain in the basement and a cap of carbonate strata constitute the critical criteria for MVTexploration target selection in the WCSB.

Field characterization of elastic properties across a fault zone reactivated by fluid injection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeanne, Pierre; Guglielmi, Yves; Rutqvist, Jonny

In this paper, we studied the elastic properties of a fault zone intersecting the Opalinus Clay formation at 300 m depth in the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory (Switzerland). Four controlled water injection experiments were performed in borehole straddle intervals set at successive locations across the fault zone. A three-component displacement sensor, which allowed capturing the borehole wall movements during injection, was used to estimate the elastic properties of representative locations across the fault zone, from the host rock to the damage zone to the fault core. Young's moduli were estimated by both an analytical approach and numerical finite differencemore » modeling. Results show a decrease in Young's modulus from the host rock to the damage zone by a factor of 5 and from the damage zone to the fault core by a factor of 2. In the host rock, our results are in reasonable agreement with laboratory data showing a strong elastic anisotropy characterized by the direction of the plane of isotropy parallel to the laminar structure of the shale formation. In the fault zone, strong rotations of the direction of anisotropy can be observed. Finally, the plane of isotropy can be oriented either parallel to bedding (when few discontinuities are present), parallel to the direction of the main fracture family intersecting the zone, and possibly oriented parallel or perpendicular to the fractures critically oriented for shear reactivation (when repeated past rupture along this plane has created a zone).« less

Field characterization of elastic properties across a fault zone reactivated by fluid injection

DOE PAGES

Jeanne, Pierre; Guglielmi, Yves; Rutqvist, Jonny; ...

2017-08-12

In this paper, we studied the elastic properties of a fault zone intersecting the Opalinus Clay formation at 300 m depth in the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory (Switzerland). Four controlled water injection experiments were performed in borehole straddle intervals set at successive locations across the fault zone. A three-component displacement sensor, which allowed capturing the borehole wall movements during injection, was used to estimate the elastic properties of representative locations across the fault zone, from the host rock to the damage zone to the fault core. Young's moduli were estimated by both an analytical approach and numerical finite differencemore » modeling. Results show a decrease in Young's modulus from the host rock to the damage zone by a factor of 5 and from the damage zone to the fault core by a factor of 2. In the host rock, our results are in reasonable agreement with laboratory data showing a strong elastic anisotropy characterized by the direction of the plane of isotropy parallel to the laminar structure of the shale formation. In the fault zone, strong rotations of the direction of anisotropy can be observed. Finally, the plane of isotropy can be oriented either parallel to bedding (when few discontinuities are present), parallel to the direction of the main fracture family intersecting the zone, and possibly oriented parallel or perpendicular to the fractures critically oriented for shear reactivation (when repeated past rupture along this plane has created a zone).« less

Using LiDAR to quantify uplift of shoreline angles during late Holocene earthquakes in northwest Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherrod, B. L.

2014-12-01

Three reverse faults in northwestern Washington - the Seattle, Tacoma, and Birch Bay faults - experienced late Holocene earthquakes. Warped intertidal platforms in the hanging wall of each fault formed broad anticlines as a result of deformation during these three earthquakes. Estimates of past deformation rely on differencing raised shoreline features and corresponding modern features. I utilized profiles of LiDAR digital elevation models to calculate prehistoric (647 profiles) and modern shoreline angles (507 profiles) and used these angles to quantify the shape and amount of deformation of each anticline. I calculated shoreline angle elevations by visually fitting lines to modern and uplifted intertidal surfaces and adjacent shoreline cliffs. The intersection of the two fitted lines is the shoreline angle. Mean elevations of modern shoreline angles for 6 shoreline areas in northern Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia (n=507) lie within 2-46 cm of mean tide level. Three additional shoreline areas in southern Puget Sound have modern shoreline angles closer to mean higher high water (within 22-88 cm) and lie in areas with less fetch and greater tidal range than sites in northern Puget Sound and the Straits of Georgia. A M>7 earthquake ~1.1 ka on the Seattle fault lifted a broad platform cut on sedimentary rocks out of the intertidal zone. Profiles of the platform at three locations along the western end of the Seattle fault zone define an anticline 8-10 km wide (orthogonal to the fault) with a maximum uplift during the earthquake of ~5-8 m. Another large earthquake ~1.1 ka uplifted an intertidal platform along the western part of the Tacoma fault. The raised platform formed an anticline ~10 km wide (orthogonal to the fault) with a maximum uplift of ~5 m. An earthquake ~1.2 ka raised shorelines in the hanging wall of the Birch Bay fault above an anticline observed on seismic reflection profiles near Bellingham, WA. Only part of the anticline is expressed in raised shorelines because shoreline angles are not preserved in the northern limb of the anticline. Estimated width of the anticline is ~8 km with a maximum uplift of 2.5 m. Ongoing elastic half-space modeling is intended to match profiles of each raised shoreline in order to estimate fault geometries and earthquake magnitudes required to produce the observed uplift profiles.

Geometry of the Nojima fault at Nojima-Hirabayashi, Japan - I. A simple damage structure inferred from borehole core permeability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lockner, David A.; Tanaka, Hidemi; Ito, Hisao; Ikeda, Ryuji; Omura, Kentaro; Naka, Hisanobu

2009-01-01

The 1995 Kobe (Hyogo-ken Nanbu) earthquake, M = 7.2, ruptured the Nojima fault in southwest Japan. We have studied core samples taken from two scientific drillholes that crossed the fault zone SW of the epicentral region on Awaji Island. The shallower hole, drilled by the Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ), was started 75 m to the SE of the surface trace of the Nojima fault and crossed the fault at a depth of 624 m. A deeper hole, drilled by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) was started 302 m to the SE of the fault and crossed fault strands below a depth of 1140 m. We have measured strength and matrix permeability of core samples taken from these two drillholes. We find a strong correlation between permeability and proximity to the fault zone shear axes. The half-width of the high permeability zone (approximately 15 to 25 m) is in good agreement with the fault zone width inferred from trapped seismic wave analysis and other evidence. The fault zone core or shear axis contains clays with permeabilities of approximately 0.1 to 1 microdarcy at 50 MPa effective confining pressure (10 to 30 microdarcy at in situ pressures). Within a few meters of the fault zone core, the rock is highly fractured but has sustained little net shear. Matrix permeability of this zone is approximately 30 to 60 microdarcy at 50 MPa effective confining pressure (300 to 1000 microdarcy at in situ pressures). Outside this damage zone, matrix permeability drops below 0.01 microdarcy. The clay-rich core material has the lowest strength with a coefficient of friction of approximately 0.55. Shear strength increases with distance from the shear axis. These permeability and strength observations reveal a simple fault zone structure with a relatively weak fine-grained core surrounded by a damage zone of fractured rock. In this case, the damage zone will act as a high-permeability conduit for vertical and horizontal flow in the plane of the fault. The fine-grained core region, however, will impede fluid flow across the fault.

Neotectonic reactivation of shear zones and implications for faulting style and geometry in the continental margin of NE Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bezerra, F. H. R.; Rossetti, D. F.; Oliveira, R. G.; Medeiros, W. E.; Neves, B. B. Brito; Balsamo, F.; Nogueira, F. C. C.; Dantas, E. L.; Andrades Filho, C.; Góes, A. M.

2014-02-01

The eastern continental margin of South America comprises a series of rift basins developed during the breakup of Pangea in the Jurassic-Cretaceous. We integrated high resolution aeromagnetic, structural and stratigraphic data in order to evaluate the role of reactivation of ductile, Neoproterozoic shear zones in the deposition and deformation of post-rift sedimentary deposits in one of these basins, the Paraíba Basin in northeastern Brazil. This basin corresponds to the last part of the South American continent to be separated from Africa during the Pangea breakup. Sediment deposition in this basin occurred in the Albian-Maastrichtian, Eocene-Miocene, and in the late Quaternary. However, our investigation concentrates on the Miocene-Quaternary, which we consider the neotectonic period because it encompasses the last stress field. This consisted of an E-W-oriented compression and a N-S-oriented extension. The basement of the basin forms a slightly seaward-tilted ramp capped by a late Cretaceous to Quaternary sedimentary cover ~ 100-400 m thick. Aeromagnetic lineaments mark the major steeply-dipping, ductile E-W- to NE-striking shear zones in this basement. The ductile shear zones mainly reactivated as strike-slip, normal and oblique-slip faults, resulting in a series of Miocene-Quaternary depocenters controlled by NE-, E-W-, and a few NW-striking faults. Faulting produced subsidence and uplift that are largely responsible for the present-day morphology of the valleys and tablelands in this margin. We conclude that Precambrian shear zone reactivation controlled geometry and orientation, as well as deformation of sedimentary deposits, until the Neogene-Quaternary.

Marine geology and earthquake hazards of the San Pedro Shelf region, southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Michael A.; Normark, William R.; Langenheim, V.E.; Calvert, Andrew J.; Sliter, Ray

2004-01-01

High-resolution seismic-reflection data have been com- bined with a variety of other geophysical and geological data to interpret the offshore structure and earthquake hazards of the San Pedro Shelf, near Los Angeles, California. Prominent structures investigated include the Wilmington Graben, the Palos Verdes Fault Zone, various faults below the western part of the shelf and slope, and the deep-water San Pedro Basin. The structure of the Palos Verdes Fault Zone changes mark- edly southeastward across the San Pedro Shelf and slope. Under the northern part of the shelf, this fault zone includes several strands, but the main strand dips west and is probably an oblique-slip fault. Under the slope, this fault zone con- sists of several fault strands having normal separation, most of which dip moderately east. To the southeast near Lasuen Knoll, the Palos Verdes Fault Zone locally is a low-angle fault that dips east, but elsewhere near this knoll the fault appears to dip steeply. Fresh sea-floor scarps near Lasuen Knoll indi- cate recent fault movement. The observed regional structural variation along the Palos Verdes Fault Zone is explained as the result of changes in strike and fault geometry along a master strike-slip fault at depth. The shallow summit and possible wavecut terraces on Lasuen knoll indicate subaerial exposure during the last sea-level lowstand. Modeling of aeromagnetic data indicates the presence of a large magnetic body under the western part of the San Pedro Shelf and upper slope. This is interpreted to be a thick body of basalt of Miocene(?) age. Reflective sedimentary rocks overlying the basalt are tightly folded, whereas folds in sedimentary rocks east of the basalt have longer wavelengths. This difference might mean that the basalt was more competent during folding than the encasing sedimentary rocks. West of the Palos Verdes Fault Zone, other northwest-striking faults deform the outer shelf and slope. Evidence for recent movement along these faults is equivocal, because age dates on deformed or offset sediment are lacking.

The 1992 M=7 Cape Mendocino, California, earthquake: Coseismic deformation at the south end of the Cascadia megathrust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murray, M.H.; Marshall, G.A.; Lisowski, M.; Stein, R.S.

1996-01-01

We invert geodetic measurements of coseismic surface displacements to determine a dislocation model for the April 25, 1992, M=7 Cape Mendocino, California, earthquake. The orientation of the model slip vector, which nearly parallels North America-Juan de Fuca relative plate convergence, and the location and orientation of the model fault relative to the offshore Cascadia megathrust, suggest that the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake is the first well-recorded event to relieve strain associated with the Cascadia subduction zone. We use data from three geodetic techniques: (1) the horizontal and vertical displacements of 13 monuments surveyed with the Global Positioning System, corrected for observed horizontal interseismic strain accumulation, (2) 88 section-elevation differences between leveling monuments, and (3) the uplift of 12 coastal sites observed from the die-off of intertidal marine organisms. Maximum observed displacements are 0.4 m of horizontal movement and 1.5 m of uplift along the coast. We use Monte Carlo techniques to estimate an optimal uniform slip rectangular fault geometry and its uncertainties. The optimal model using all the data resolves 4.9 m of slip on a 14 by 15 km fault that dips 28?? SE. The fault extends from 1.5 to 8.7 km in depth and the main-shock hypocenter is close to the downdip projection of the fault. The shallowly dipping fault plane is consistent with the observed aftershock locations, and the estimated geodetic moment is 3.1??1019 N m, 70% of the seismic moment. Other models that exclude leveling data collected in 1935 and 1942 are more consistent with seismological estimates of the fault geometry. If the earthquake is characteristic for this segment, the estimated horizontal slip vector compared with plate convergence rates suggests a recurrence interval of 140 years, with a 95% confidence range of 100-670 years. The coseismic uplift occurred in a region that also has high Quaternary uplift rates determined from marine terrace studies. If repeated ruptures of this southernmost segment of the Cascadia megathrust are responsible for the Quaternary uplift, a comparison of the coseismic uplift with coastal uplift rates suggests a recurrence interval of 200-400 years. Thus comparing horizontal and vertical coseismic to long-term deformation suggests a recurrence interval of about 100-300 years for M=7 events at the south end of the Cascadia megathrust.

Seismic hazard maps for Haiti

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frankel, Arthur; Harmsen, Stephen; Mueller, Charles; Calais, Eric; Haase, Jennifer

2011-01-01

We have produced probabilistic seismic hazard maps of Haiti for peak ground acceleration and response spectral accelerations that include the hazard from the major crustal faults, subduction zones, and background earthquakes. The hazard from the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden, Septentrional, and Matheux-Neiba fault zones was estimated using fault slip rates determined from GPS measurements. The hazard from the subduction zones along the northern and southeastern coasts of Hispaniola was calculated from slip rates derived from GPS data and the overall plate motion. Hazard maps were made for a firm-rock site condition and for a grid of shallow shear-wave velocities estimated from topographic slope. The maps show substantial hazard throughout Haiti, with the highest hazard in Haiti along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden and Septentrional fault zones. The Matheux-Neiba Fault exhibits high hazard in the maps for 2% probability of exceedance in 50 years, although its slip rate is poorly constrained.

Structural Analysis of the Exhumed SEMP Fault Zone, Austria: Towards an Understanding of Fault Zone Architecture Throughout the Seismogenic Crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, E. K.; Dolan, J. F.; Sammis, C.; Hacker, B.; Ratschbacher, L.

2006-12-01

One of the most exciting and important frontiers in earthquake science is the linkage between the internal structure and the mechanical behavior of fault zones. In particular, little is known about how fault-zone structure varies as a function of depth, from near-surface conditions down through the seismogenic crust and into the ductile lower crust. Such understanding is vital if we are to understand the mechanical instabilities that control the nucleation and propagation of seismic ruptures. This imperative has led us to the Oligo-Miocene Salzach-Ennstal-Mariazell-Puchberg [SEMP] fault zone in Austria, a major left-lateral strike-slip fault that has been exhumed differentially such that it exposes a continuum of structural levels along strike. This exhumed fault system provides a unique opportunity to systematically examine depth-dependent changes in fault-zone geometry and structure along a single fault. In order to establish the structure of the fault zone in the seismogenic crust, we are studying exposures of this fault at a variety of exhumation levels, from <1 km near the eastern end of the fault, downward through the seismogenic crust, across the brittle-ductile transition, and into the uppermost part of the lower crust in western Austria. Here we present our results from one of these study sites, a spectacular exposure of the fault zone near the town of Gstatterboden in central Austria. The fault, which at this location has been exhumed from a depth of ~ 2-3 km, juxtaposes limestone of the Wettersteinkalk on the south with dolomite of the Ramsaudolomit on the north. We conducted two detailed structural traverses over a fault-perpendicular width of over 200 m. Analysis of the density and orientation of outcrop scale features, such as faults and fractures, reveals a highly asymmetric pattern of fault zone damage. Dolomite to the north of the fault is extensively shattered, while the limestone unit to the south shows only minor evidence of fault damage. Additionally, measurements of damage intensity throughout the dolomite indicate little change in strain away from the fault. While some of our observations may be explained by the brittle nature of dolomite, they are also compatible with models of dynamic rupture on elastically asymmetric faults. Analysis of grain size distributions in pilot samples of the dolomite breccia are fractal with a dimension of 2, indicating significant shear strain. Further microscale work will delimit the extent of this high-strain zone and complement macroscale observations of damage intensity. Ongoing lab studies will analyze structural transects across the SEMP fault zone at outcrops exhumed from the brittle-ductile transition. Combining these results with a companion study by Cole et al. in the Tauern Window, we will be able to create a synoptic view of the SEMP fault zone from top to bottom - a view that describes how the fault zone varies in its characteristics at different depths.

Structural controls on the spatial distribution and geochemical composition of volcanism in a continental rift zone; an example from Owens Valley, eastern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haproff, P. J.; Yin, A.

2014-12-01

Bimodal volcanism is common in continental rift zones. Structural controls to the emplacement and compositions of magmas, however, are not well understood. To address this issue, we examine the location, age, and geochemistry of active volcanic centers, and geometry and kinematics of rift-related faults across the active transtensional Owens Valley rift zone. Building on existing studies, we postulate that the spatial distribution and geochemical composition of volcanism are controlled by motion along rift-bounding fault systems. Along-strike variation in fault geometry and characteristics of active volcanism allow us to divide Owens Valley into three segments: southern, northern, and central. The southern segment of Owens Valley is a simple shear, asymmetric rift bounded to the west by the east-dipping Sierra Nevada frontal fault (SNFF). Active vents of Coso volcanic field are distributed along the eastern rift shoulder and characterized by the eruption of bimodal lavas. The SNFF within this segment is low-angle and penetrates through the lithosphere and into the ductile asthenosphere, allowing for mantle-derived magma to migrate across the weakest part of the fault zone beneath the eastern rift shoulder. Magma thermally weakens wall rocks and eventually stalls in the crust where the melt develops a greater felsic component prior to eruption. The northern segment of Owens Valley displays similar structural geometry, as the west-dipping White Mountains fault (WMF) is listric at depth and offsets the crust and mantle lithosphere, allowing for vertical transport of magma and reservoir emplacement within the crust. Bimodal lavas periodically erupted in the Long Valley Caldera region along the western rift shoulder. The central segment of Owens Valley is a pure shear, symmetric graben generated by motion along the SNFF and WMF. The subvertical, right-slip Owens Valley fault (OVF) strikes along the axis of the valley and penetrates through the lithosphere into the asthenosphere. Volcanic centers of Big Pine volcanic field are located along the trace of the OVF and characterized by mafic eruptions. The OVF is interpreted to provide a subvertical conduit for asthenospheric magma to migrate across the LAB and Moho and erupt on the rift surface without significant contamination with felsic crust.

The role of discrete intrabasement shear zones during multiphase continental rifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Thomas B.; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.; Bell, Rebecca E.; Duffy, Oliver B.; Fossen, Haakon

2016-04-01

Rift systems form within areas of relatively weak, heterogeneous lithosphere, containing a range of pre-existing structures imparted from previous tectonic events. The extent to which these structures may reactivate during later rift phases, and therefore affect the geometry and evolution of superposed rift systems, is poorly understood. The greatest obstacle to understanding how intrabasement structures influence the overlying rift is obtaining detailed constraints on the origin and 3D geometry of structures within crystalline basement. Such structures are often deeply buried beneath rift systems and therefore rarely sampled directly. In addition, due to relatively low internal acoustic impedance contrasts and large burial depths, crystalline basement typically appears acoustically transparent on seismic reflection data showing no resolvable internal structure. However, offshore SW Norway, beneath the Egersund Basin, intrabasement structures are exceptionally well-imaged due to large impedance contrasts within a highly heterogeneous and shallow basement. We use borehole-constrained 2D and 3D seismic reflection data to constrain the 3D geometry of these intrabasement reflections, and examine their interactions with the overlying rift system. Two types of intrabasement structure are observed: (i) thin (c. 100 m) reflections displaying a characteristic trough-peak-trough wavetrain; and (ii) thick (c. 1 km), sub-parallel reflection packages dipping at c. 30°. Through 1D waveform modelling we show that these reflection patterns arise from a layered sequence as opposed to a single interface. Integrating this with our seismic mapping we correlate these structures to the established onshore geology; specifically layered mylonites associated with the Caledonian thrust belt and cross-cutting extensional Devonian shear zones. We observe multiple phases of reactivation along these structures throughout multiple rift events, in addition to a range of interactions with overlying rift-related faults: (i) Faults exploit planes of weakness internally within the shear zones; (ii) faults initiate within the hangingwall and subsequently merge along the intrabasement structure at depth; and (iii) faults initiate independently from and cross-cut intrabasement structure. We find that reactivation preferentially occurs along the thicker, steeper intrabasement structures, the Devonian Shear Zones, with individual faults exploiting internal mylonite layers. Using a detailed 3D interpretation of intrabasement structures, correlated with the onshore geology, we show that large-scale Devonian shear zones act as a long-lived structural template for fault initiation throughout multiple rift phases. Rift-related faults inherit the orientation and location of underlying intrabasement structures.

Observations of fault zone heterogeneity effects on stress alteration and slip nucleation during a fault reactivation experiment in the Mont Terri rock laboratory, Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nussbaum, C.; Guglielmi, Y.

2016-12-01

The FS experiment at the Mont Terri underground research laboratory consists of a series of controlled field stimulation tests conducted in a fault zone intersecting a shale formation. The Main Fault is a secondary order reverse fault that formed during the creation of the Jura fold-and-thrust belt, associated to a large décollement. The fault zone is up to 6 m wide, with micron-thick shear zones, calcite veins, scaly clay and clay gouge. We conducted fluid injection tests in 4 packed-off borehole intervals across the Main Fault using mHPP probes that allow to monitor 3D displacement between two points anchored to the borehole walls at the same time as fluid pressure and flow rate. While pressurizing the intervals above injection pressures of 3.9 to 5.3 MPa, there is an irreversible change in the displacements magnitude and orientation associated to the hydraulic opening of natural shear planes oriented N59 to N69 and dipping 39 to 58°. Displacements of 0.01 mm to larger than 0.1 mm were captured, the highest value being observed at the interface between the low permeable fault core and the damage zone. Contrasted fault movements were observed, mainly dilatant in the fault core, highly dilatant-normal slip at the fault core-damage zone interface and low dilatant-strike-slip-reverse in the damage-to-intact zones. First using a slip-tendency approach based on Coulomb reactivation potential of fault planes, we computed a stress tensor orientation for each test. The input parameters are the measured displacement vectors above the hydraulic opening pressure and the detailed fault geometry of each intervals. All measurements from the damage zone can be explained by a stress tensor in strike-slip regime. Fault movements measured at the core-damage zone interface and within the fault core are in agreement with the same stress orientations but changed as normal faulting, explaining the significant dilatant movements. We then conducted dynamic hydromechanical simulations of the Coulomb stress variations on discrete fault planes, considering the injection pressure variations with time in the packed-off sections as the source parameters. Results suggest that the fault architecture and heterogeneity play an important role on the local stress variation at the core-damage zone interface, favouring slip activation below sigma 3.

The Devils Mountain Fault zone: An active Cascadia upper plate zone of deformation, Pacific Northwest of North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrie, J. Vaughn; Greene, H. Gary

2018-02-01

The Devils Mountain Fault Zone (DMFZ) extends east to west from Washington State to just south of Victoria, British Columbia, in the northern Strait of Juan de Fuca of Canada and the USA. Recently collected geophysical data were used to map this fault zone in detail, which show the main fault trace, and associated primary and secondary (conjugate) strands, and extensive northeast-southwest oriented folding that occurs within a 6 km wide deformation zone. The fault zone has been active in the Holocene as seen in the offset and disrupted upper Quaternary strata, seafloor displacement, and deformation within sediment cores taken close to the seafloor expression of the faults. Data suggest that the present DMFZ and the re-activated Leech River Fault may be part of the same fault system. Based on the length and previously estimated slip rates of the fault zone in Washington State, the DMFZ appears to have the potential of producing a strong earthquake, perhaps as large as magnitude 7.5 or greater, within 2 km of the city of Victoria.

Seismic images and fault relations of the Santa Monica thrust fault, West Los Angeles, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, R.D.; Gandhok, G.; Goldman, M.R.; Okaya, D.

2001-01-01

In May 1997, the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Southern California (USC) acquired high-resolution seismic reflection and refraction images on the grounds of the Wadsworth Veterans Administration Hospital (WVAH) in the city of Los Angeles (Fig. 1a,b). The objective of the seismic survey was to better understand the near-surface geometry and faulting characteristics of the Santa Monica fault zone. In this report, we present seismic images, an interpretation of those images, and a comparison of our results with results from studies by Dolan and Pratt (1997), Pratt et al. (1998) and Gibbs et al. (2000). The Santa Monica fault is one of the several northeast-southwest-trending, north-dipping, reverse faults that extend through the Los Angeles metropolitan area (Fig. 1a). Through much of area, the Santa Monica fault trends subparallel to the Hollywood fault, but the two faults apparently join into a single fault zone to the southwest and to the northeast (Dolan et al., 1995). The Santa Monica and Hollywood faults may be part of a larger fault system that extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Transverse Ranges. Crook et al. (1983) refer to this fault system as the Malibu Coast-Santa Monica-Raymond-Cucamonga fault system. They suggest that these faults have not formed a contiguous zone since the Pleistocene and conclude that each of the faults should be treated as a separate fault with respect to seismic hazards. However, Dolan et al. (1995) suggest that the Hollywood and Santa Monica faults are capable of generating Mw 6.8 and Mw 7.0 earthquakes, respectively. Thus, regardless of whether the overall fault system is connected and capable of rupturing in one event, individually, each of the faults present a sizable earthquake hazard to the Los Angeles metropolitan area. If, however, these faults are connected, and they were to rupture along a continuous fault rupture, the resulting hazard would be even greater. Although the Santa Monica fault represents a hazard to millions of people, its lateral extent and rupture history are not well known, due largely to limited knowledge of the fault location, geometry, and relationship to other faults. The Santa Monica fault has been obscured at the surface by alluvium and urbanization. For example, Dolan et al. (1995) could find only one 200-m-long stretch of the Santa Monica fault that was not covered by either streets or buildings. Of the 19-km length onshore section of the Santa Monica fault, its apparent location has been delineated largely on the basis of geomorphic features and oil-well drilling. Seismic imaging efforts, in combination with other investigative methods, may be the best approach in locating and understanding the Santa Monica fault in the Los Angeles region. This investigation and another recent seismic imaging investigation (Pratt et al., 1998) were undertaken to resolve the near-surface location, fault geometry, and faulting relations associated with the Santa Monica fault.

Along-Strike Variation in Geometry and Kinematics of a Major, Active Intracontinental Thrust System: the Pred-Terskey Fault Zone, Kyrgyz Tien Shan, Central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgette, R. J.; Weldon, R. J.; Abdrakhmatov, K. Y.; Ormukov, C.

2004-12-01

The Pred-Terskey fault zone defines the southern margin of the Issyk-Kul basin, extending eastward over 250 km from at least the Chu River to the Kazakhstan border, and appears to be one of the most active zones in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan. Despite a diversity of structural styles and changes of vergence at the surface, the lateral continuity and overall geometry of the zone is consistent with a single north vergent thrust at depth, which uplifts the Terskey Range and generally tilts the south margin of the basin to the north. This northward tilting of the margin is probably due to a flattening of the fault as it approaches the surface. In spite of historical quiescence, it is likely capable of producing great earthquakes. We have conducted detailed field mapping coupled with terrace profiling and dating at seven representative, well-exposed areas of the fault zone. Based on these field observations and satellite image and air photo interpretation along the entire zone, we identify three major divisions in structural style expressed at the surface. The western segment is typified by the Tura-Su, Ak-Terek and Ton areas. A series of left-stepping, south-vergent, basement-involved reverse faults and folds are uplifting the southern margin of the Issyk-Kul basin in this area. The resulting uphill-facing scarps have trapped and diverted many of the rivers flowing north from the Terskey Range. Tertiary strata and Quaternary geomorphic surfaces show consistent, progressive northward tilting across the entire zone. The west-central segment is represented by the Kajy-Say area. South-vergent reverse faults and a north-vergent backthrust have uplifted an arcuate granite block. Offshore of this area, the lake floor descends to a sharp break in slope with a low relief area at a depth of about 650 m. Late Quaternary geomorphic features do not show evidence of tilting. In contrast to the areas east and west, the major north-dipping thrust is likely planar over this segment and daylights at the lake floor break in slope. The east-central segment is exemplified by the Barskaun and Jety Oguz areas. A high angle reverse fault juxtaposes Paleozoic rock against Tertiary sediments. To the north, a thrust fault with a sinuous trace places north-dipping Tertiary rock over the nearly horizontal basin floor. Quaternary terraces in the hanging wall of this fault record progressive northward tilting. North of the thrust fault a series of anticlines are growing out of the basin sediments. The eastern segment, which includes the Jergalan River valley, lacks a low angle thrust fault at the basin margin. Along this segment, the basement reverse fault uplifts Paleozoic rock against Quaternary basin sediment. To the north of this range-bounding structure, late Quaternary terraces are offset by south-vergent scarps. We are calculating geologic slip rates for each of the seven sites along the Pred-Terskey zone by dating terraces and constructing structural models consistent with both the rock and terrace records. Based on preliminary radiocarbon dates, a prominent Jety Oguz River terrace is 50 +/- 10 ka. The terrace is tilted 0.5° relative to the modern river, and with the low angle fault branching off of the basement reverse fault at dips ranging between 45° and 90° , the slip rate of this fault is 6 +/- 4 mm/yr. This is consistent with the GPS shortening rate across the Pred-Terskey zone at this longitude.

Geometry of the Nojima fault at Nojima-Hirabayashi, Japan - II. Microstructures and their implications for permeability and strength

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Diane E.; Lockner, D.A.; Ito, H.; Ikeda, R.; Tanaka, H.; Omura, K.

2009-01-01

Samples of damage-zone granodiorite and fault core from two drillholes into the active, strike-slip Nojima fault zone display microstructures and alteration features that explain their measured present-day strengths and permeabilities and provide insight on the evolution of these properties in the fault zone. The least deformed damage-zone rocks contain two sets of nearly perpendicular (60-90?? angles), roughly vertical fractures that are concentrated in quartz-rich areas, with one set typically dominating over the other. With increasing intensity of deformation, which corresponds generally to increasing proximity to the core, zones of heavily fragmented rock, termed microbreccia zones, develop between prominent fractures of both sets. Granodiorite adjoining intersecting microbreccia zones in the active fault strands has been repeatedly fractured and locally brecciated, accompanied by the generation of millimeter-scale voids that are partly filled with secondary minerals. Minor shear bands overprint some of the heavily deformed areas, and small-scale shear zones form from the pairing of closely spaced shear bands. Strength and permeability measurements were made on core collected from the fault within a year after a major (Kobe) earthquake. Measured strengths of the samples decrease regularly with increasing fracturing and fragmentation, such that the gouge of the fault core and completely brecciated samples from the damage zone are the weakest. Permeability increases with increasing disruption, generally reaching a peak in heavily fractured but still more or less cohesive rock at the scale of the laboratory samples. Complete loss of cohesion, as in the gouge or the interiors of large microbreccia zones, is accompanied by a reduction of permeability by 1-2 orders of magnitude below the peak values. The core samples show abundant evidence of hydrothermal alteration and mineral precipitation. Permeability is thus expected to decrease and strength to increase somewhat in active fault strands between earthquakes, as mineral deposits progressively seal fractures and fill pore spaces. ?? Birkh??user Verlag, Basel 2009.

Probing the frontal deformation zone of the Chihshang Fault with boreholes and high-resolution electrical resistivity imaging methods: A case study at the Dapo site in eastern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ping-Yu; Huang, Wen-Jeng; Chen, Chien-Chih; Hsu, Han-lun; Yen, I.-Chin; Ho, Gong-Ruei; Lee, Jian-Cheng; Lu, Shih-Ting; Chen, Po-Tsun

2018-06-01

Not only direct fault ruptures but also later mass movement may result in complicated frontal deformation of the faults. Consequently, the deformation front or the contacts between the unconsolidated materials from the hanging wall and footwall of the thrust fault may indicate the toe of the mass movement instead of the actual fault zone. In this study, we used a combination of surface electrical resistivity imaging methods and borehole records in order to investigate the geometries of the structures in the frontal deformation zone of the Chihshang Fault at the Dapo elementary school. From the cores, we observed three different geological components at the Dapo site: the conductive Lichi mélange of the hanging wall, the colluvial gravels and the underlying fluvial-gravel layer at the footwall. The resistivity images from two parallel survey lines reveal that the position where the fault trace was thought to be is actually the toe of the slumping body's surface ruptures consisting of materials from the Lichi mélange. On the basis of the resistivity images, we also found that the actual fault plane is located on the southeastern side of the resistivity survey line near the hilltop. As a result, we conclude that mass movement induced by the inter-seismic creeping, not direct faulting, is the main factor affecting the frontal deformation zone of the Chihshang fault at the Dapo site.

Detailed spatial distribution of microearthquakes beneath the Marmara Sea, Turkey, deduced from long-term ocean bottom observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Yojiro; Takahashi, Narumi; Pinar, Ali; Kalafat, Doǧan; Citak, Seckin; Comoglu, Mustafa; Polat, Remzi; Çok, Özkan; Ogutcu, Zafer; Suvariklı, Murat; Tunc, Suleyman; Gürbüz, Cemil; Turhan, Fatih; Ozel, Nurcan; Kaneda, Yoshiyuki

2016-04-01

The North Anatolian Fault (NAF) crosses the Marmara Sea in E-W direction, accommodating about 25 mm/yr of right-lateral motion between Anatolia and the Eurasian plate. There are many large earthquakes along the 1500 km long NAF repeatedly occurred and interacted each other. The recent large northern Aegean earthquake with Mw=6.9 filled one of the last two seismic gaps on NAF that experienced extraordinary seismic moment release cycle during the last century and confirmed a remained blank zone in the Marmara Sea. However, this segment keeps its mystery due to its underwater location. Earthquake hazard and disaster mitigation studies in Marmara region are sensitive to detailed information on fault geometry and its stick-slip behavior beneath the western Marmara Sea. We have started ocean bottom seismographic observations to obtain the detailed information about fault geometry and its stick-slip behavior beneath the western Marmara Sea, as a part of the SATREPS collaborative project between Japan and Turkey namely "Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Mitigation in the Marmara Region and Disaster Education in Turkey". The target area spans from western Marmara Sea to offshore Istanbul along the NAF. In the beginning of the project, we deployed ten Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBSs) between the Tekirdag Basin and the Central Basin (CB) in September 2014. Then, we added five Japanese OBSs and deployed them in the western end of the Marmara Sea and in the eastern CB to extend the observed area in March 2015. We retrieved all 15 OBSs in July 2015 and deployed them again in the same locations after data retrieve and battery maintenance. From continuous OBS records, we could detect more than 700 events near the seafloor trace of NAF during 10 months observation period whereas land-seismic network could detect less than 200 events. We estimated the micro-earthquake location using manual-picking arrival times incorporating station corrections. The tentative results show heterogeneous seismicity. The Western High (WH) and CB have relative high seismicity and the seismogenic zone was found to be thicker than the previous estimations done by other researchers. Our result clearly shows that the maximum depth of seismogenic zone is about 24 km beneath the WH and the western half of CB. This depth suddenly decrease to about 15 km in the eastern half of CB, suggesting that there is some structural or frictional boundary on NAF around 28°E. Our results also suggested that the dip angle of NAF is almost vertical beneath WH, whereas it is about 10 degrees southward dipping beneath the eastern CB. We will perform local seismic tomography to obtain more precious hypocenter location and fault geometry.

Wedge geometry, frictional properties and interseismic coupling of the Java megathrust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koulali, Achraf; McClusky, Simon; Cummins, Phil; Tregoning, Paul

2018-06-01

The mechanical interaction between rocks at fault zones is a key element for understanding how earthquakes nucleate and propagate. Therefore, estimating frictional properties along fault planes allows us to infer the degree of elastic strain accumulation throughout the seismic cycle. The Java subduction zone is an active plate boundary where high seismic activity has long been documented. However, very little is known about the seismogenic processes of the megathrust, especially its shallowest portion where onshore geodetic networks are insensitive to recover the pattern of elastic strain. Here, we use the geometry of the offshore accretionary prism to infer frictional properties along the Java subduction zone, using Coulomb critical taper theory. We show that large portions of the inner wedge in the eastern part of the Java subduction megathrust are in a critical state, where the wedge is on the verge of failure everywhere. We identify four clusters with an internal coefficient of friction μint of ∼ 0.8 and hydrostatic pore pressure within the wedge. The average effective coefficient of friction ranges between 0.3 and 0.4, reflecting a strong décollement. Our results also show that the aftershock sequence of the 1994 Mw 7.9 earthquake halted adjacent to a critical segment of the wedge, suggesting that critical taper wedge areas in the eastern Java subduction interface may behave as a permanent barrier to large earthquake rupture. In contrast, in western Java topographic slope and slab dip profiles suggest that the wedge is mechanically stable, i.e deformation is restricted to sliding along the décollement, and likely to coincide with a seismogenic portion of the megathrust. We discuss the seismic hazard implications and highlight the importance of considering the segmentation of the Java subduction zone when assessing the seismic hazard of this region.

Preliminary development of the LBL/USGS three-dimensional site-scale model of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

1995-01-01

A three-dimensional model of moisture flow within the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain is being developed at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This site-scale model covers and area of about 34 km2 and is bounded by major faults to the north, east and west. The model geometry is defined (1) to represent the variations of hydrogeological units between the ground surface and the water table; (2) to be able to reproduce the effect of abrupt changes in hydrogeological parameters at the boundaries between hyrdogeological units; and (3) to include the influence of major faults. A detailed numerical grid has been developed based on the locations of boreholes, different infiltration zones, hydrogeological units and their outcrops, major faults, and water level data. Contour maps and isopatch maps are presented defining different types of infiltration zones, and the spatial distribution of Tiva Canyon, Paintbrush, and Topopah Spring hydrogeological units. The grid geometry consists of seventeen non-uniform layers which represent the lithological variations within the four main welded and non-welded hydrogeological units. Matrix flow is approximated using the van Genuchten model, and the equivalent continuum approximation is used to account for fracture flow in the welded units. The fault zones are explicitly modeled as porous medium using various assumptions regarding their permeabilities and characteristic curves. One-, two-, and three-dimensional simulations are conducted using the TOUGH2 computer program. Steady-state simulations are performed with various uniform and non-uniform infiltration rates. The results are interpreted in terms of the effect of fault characteristics on the moisture flow distribution, and on location and formation of preferential pathways.

A kinematic model for the evolution of the Eastern California Shear Zone and Garlock Fault, Mojave Desert, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixon, Timothy H.; Xie, Surui

2018-07-01

The Eastern California shear zone in the Mojave Desert, California, accommodates nearly a quarter of Pacific-North America plate motion. In south-central Mojave, the shear zone consists of six active faults, with the central Calico fault having the fastest slip rate. However, faults to the east of the Calico fault have larger total offsets. We explain this pattern of slip rate and total offset with a model involving a crustal block (the Mojave Block) that migrates eastward relative to a shear zone at depth whose position and orientation is fixed by the Coachella segment of the San Andreas fault (SAF), southwest of the transpressive "big bend" in the SAF. Both the shear zone and the Garlock fault are assumed to be a direct result of this restraining bend, and consequent strain redistribution. The model explains several aspects of local and regional tectonics, may apply to other transpressive continental plate boundary zones, and may improve seismic hazard estimates in these zones.

Scissoring Fault Rupture Properties along the Median Tectonic Line Fault Zone, Southwest Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, M.; Nishizaka, N.; Onishi, K.; Sakamoto, J.; Takahashi, K.

2017-12-01

The Median Tectonic Line fault zone (hereinafter MTLFZ) is the longest and most active fault zone in Japan. The MTLFZ is a 400-km-long trench parallel right-lateral strike-slip fault accommodating lateral slip components of the Philippine Sea plate oblique subduction beneath the Eurasian plate [Fitch, 1972; Yeats, 1996]. Complex fault geometry evolves along the MTLFZ. The geomorphic and geological characteristics show a remarkable change through the MTLFZ. Extensional step-overs and pull-apart basins and a pop-up structure develop in western and eastern parts of the MTLFZ, respectively. It is like a "scissoring fault properties". We can point out two main factors to form scissoring fault properties along the MTLFZ. One is a regional stress condition, and another is a preexisting fault. The direction of σ1 anticlockwise rotate from N170°E [Famin et al., 2014] in the eastern Shikoku to Kinki areas and N100°E [Research Group for Crustral Stress in Western Japan, 1980] in central Shikoku to N85°E [Onishi et al., 2016] in western Shikoku. According to the rotation of principal stress directions, the western and eastern parts of the MTLFZ are to be a transtension and compression regime, respectively. The MTLFZ formed as a terrain boundary at Cretaceous, and has evolved with a long active history. The fault style has changed variously, such as left-lateral, thrust, normal and right-lateral. Under the structural condition of a preexisting fault being, the rupture does not completely conform to Anderson's theory for a newly formed fault, as the theory would require either purely dip-slip motion on the 45° dipping fault or strike-slip motion on a vertical fault. The fault rupture of the 2013 Barochistan earthquake in Pakistan is a rare example of large strike-slip reactivation on a relatively low angle dipping fault (thrust fault), though many strike-slip faults have vertical plane generally [Avouac et al., 2014]. In this presentation, we, firstly, show deep subsurface structures of the MTLFZ based on newly obtained data and previous research results. And then, we discuss how the relationship between the surface fault geometry and the deep subsurface structures changes through the MTLFZ which is under the heterogeneous regional stress condition.

Traditional and innovative methods applied to a crystalline aquifer for characterizing fault zone hydrology at different scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bour, O.; Ruelleu, S.; Le Borgne, T.; Boudin, F.; Moreau, F.; Durand, S.; Longuevergne, L.

2011-12-01

Crystalline rocks aquifers are difficult to characterize since flow is mainly localized in few fractures or faults. In particular, the geometry of the main flow paths and the connections of the aquifer with the sub-surface are often poorly constrained. Here, we present results from different geophysical and hydraulic methods to quantify fault zone hydrology of a crystalline confined aquifer (Ploemeur, French Brittany). This outstandingly productive crystalline rock aquifer is exploited at a rate of about 10 6 m3 per year since 1991. The pumping site is located at the intersection of two main structures: the contact zone between granite roof and overlying micaschists, and a steeply dipping fault striking North 20°, with combined dextral strike-slip and normal components. Core samples and borehole optical imagery reveals that the contact zone at the granite roof consists of alternating deformed granitic sheets and enclaves of micaschists, pegmatite and aplite dykes, as well as quartz veins. Locally, this contact is marked by mylonites and pegmatite-bearing breccias that are often but not systematically associated with major borehole inflows. Other significant inflows are localized within single fractures independently of the lithologies encountered. At the borehole scale the structural and hydraulic properties of the aquifer are thus highly variable. At the site scale - typically a kilometer squared - the water levels are monitored in 22 boreholes, 100 meters deep in average. The connectivity of the main flow paths and the hydraulic properties are relatively well constrained and quantified thanks to cross-borehole flowmeter tests and traditional pumping tests. In complement, long-base tiltmeters monitoring and ground-surface leveling allows to monitor sub-surface deformation. It provides a quantification of the hydro-mechanical properties of the aquifer and better constraints about the geometry of the main fault zone. Surprisingly, the storage coefficient of the confined aquifer is relatively high, in agreement with ground-surface deformation measurements that suggest a relativity high compressibility of the fault zone. At larger scale, we show through a high-resolution gravimetric survey that the highly fractured contact between granite and micaschists, which constitutes the main path for groundwater flow, is a gently dipping structure. A 3D gravimetric model confirms also the presence of sub-vertical faults that may constitute important drains for the aquifer recharge. In addition, groundwater temperature monitoring allows to shows that the main water supply comes from a depth of at least 300 meters. Such a depth in a low relief region involves relatively deep groundwater circulation that can be achieved only thanks to major permeable fault zone. This field example shows the advantages and limitations of some traditional and innovative methods to characterize fault zone hydrology in crystalline bedrock aquifers.

Detailed Geophysical Fault Characterization in Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asch, Theodore H.; Sweetkind, Donald S.; Burton, Bethany L.; Wallin, Erin L.

2009-01-01

Yucca Flat is a topographic and structural basin in the northeastern part of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nye County, Nevada. Between the years 1951 and 1992, 659 underground nuclear tests took place in Yucca Flat; most were conducted in large, vertical excavations that penetrated alluvium and the underlying Cenozoic volcanic rocks. Radioactive and other potential chemical contaminants at the NTS are the subject of a long-term program of investigation and remediation by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office, under its Environmental Restoration Program. As part of the program, the DOE seeks to assess the extent of contamination and to evaluate the potential risks to humans and the environment from byproducts of weapons testing. To accomplish this objective, the DOE Environmental Restoration Program is constructing and calibrating a ground-water flow model to predict hydrologic flow in Yucca Flat as part of an effort to quantify the subsurface hydrology of the Nevada Test Site. A necessary part of calibrating and evaluating a model of the flow system is an understanding of the location and characteristics of faults that may influence ground-water flow. In addition, knowledge of fault-zone architecture and physical properties is a fundamental component of the containment of the contamination from underground nuclear tests, should such testing ever resume at the Nevada Test Site. The goal of the present investigation is to develop a detailed understanding of the geometry and physical properties of fault zones in Yucca Flat. This study was designed to investigate faults in greater detail and to characterize fault geometry, the presence of fault splays, and the fault-zone width. Integrated geological and geophysical studies have been designed and implemented to work toward this goal. This report describes the geophysical surveys conducted near two drill holes in Yucca Flat, the data analyses performed, and the integrated interpretations developed from the suite of geophysical methodologies utilized in this investigation. Data collection for this activity started in the spring of 2005 and continued into 2006. A suite of electrical geophysical surveys were run in combination with ground magnetic surveys; these surveys resulted in high-resolution subsurface data that portray subsurface fault geometry at the two sites and have identified structures not readily apparent from surface geologic mapping, potential field geophysical data, or surface effects fracture maps.

Fracture properties from tight reservoir outcrop analogues with application to geothermal exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philipp, Sonja L.; Reyer, Dorothea; Afsar, Filiz; Bauer, Johanna F.; Meier, Silke; Reinecker, John

2015-04-01

In geothermal reservoirs, similar to other tight reservoirs, fluid flow may be intensely affected by fracture systems, in particular those associated with fault zones. When active (slipping) the fault core, that is, the inner part of a fault zone, which commonly consists of breccia or gouge, can suddenly develop high permeability. Fault cores of inactive fault zones, however, may have low permeabilities and even act as flow barriers. In the outer part of a fault zone, the damage zone, permeability depends mainly on the fracture properties, that is, the geometry (orientation, aperture, density, connectivity, etc.) of the fault-associated fracture system. Mineral vein networks in damage zones of deeply eroded fault zones in palaeogeothermal fields demonstrate their permeability. In geothermal exploration, particularly for hydrothermal reservoirs, the orientation of fault zones in relation to the current stress field as well as their internal structure, in particular the properties of the associated fracture system, must be known as accurately as possible for wellpath planning and reservoir engineering. Here we present results of detailed field studies and numerical models of fault zones and associated fracture systems in palaeogeo¬thermal fields and host rocks for geothermal reservoirs from various stratigraphies, lithologies and tectonic settings: (1) 74 fault zones in three coastal sections of Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic age (mudstones and limestone-marl alternations) in the Bristol Channel Basin, UK. (2) 58 fault zones in 22 outcrops from Upper Carboniferous to Upper Cretaceous in the Northwest German Basin (siliciclastic, carbonate and volcanic rocks); and (3) 16 fault zones in 9 outcrops in Lower Permian to Middle Triassic (mainly sandstone and limestone) in the Upper Rhine Graben shoulders. Whereas (1) represent palaeogeothermal fields with mineral veins, (2) and (3) are outcrop analogues of reservoir horizons from geothermal exploration. In the study areas of palaeo¬geothermal fields in the Bristol Channel (1), all mineral veins, most of which are extension fractures, are of calcite. They are clearly associated with the faults and indicate that geothermal water was transported along the then-active faults into the host rocks with evidence of injection as hydrofractures. Layers with contrasting mechanical properties (in particular, stiffnesses), however, acted as stress barriers and lead to fracture arrest. Along some faults, veins propagated through the barriers along faults to shallower levels. In the Northwest German Basin (2) there are pronounced differences between normal-fault zones in carbonate and clastic rocks. Only in carbonate rocks clear damage zones occur, characterized by increased fracture frequencies and high amounts of fractures with large apertures. On the Upper Rhine Graben shoulders (3) damage zones in Triassic Muschelkalk limestones are well developed; fault cores are narrow and comprise breccia, clay smear, host rock lenses and mineralization. A large fault zone in Triassic Bunter sandstone shows a clearly developed fault core with fault gouge, slip zones, deformation bands and host rock lenses, a transition zone with mostly disturbed layering and highest fracture frequency, and a damage zone. The latter damage zone is compared to the damage zone of a large Bunter sandstone fault zone currently explored for geothermal energy production. The numerical models focus on stress field development, fracture propagation and associated permeability changes. These studies contribute to the understanding of the hydromechanical behaviour of fault zones and related fluid transport in fractured reservoirs complementing predictions based on geophysical measurements. Eventually we aim at classifying and quantifying fracture system properties in fault zones to improve exploration and exploitation of geothermal reservoirs. Acknowledgements The authors appreciate the support of 'Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissen¬schaft und Kultur' and 'Baker Hughes' within the gebo research project (http://www.gebo-nds.de), the Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit (BMU; FKZ: 0325302, AuGE) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. GeoEnergy GmbH, Karlsruhe, is thanked for explorational data.

Coupled Mechanical and Thermal Modeling of Frictional Melt Injection to Constrain Physical Conditions of the Earthquake Source Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawyer, W.; Resor, P. G.

2016-12-01

Pseudotachylyte, a fault rock formed through coseismic frictional melting, provides an important record of coseismic mechanics. In particular, injection veins formed at a high angle to the fault surface have been used to estimate rupture directivity, velocity, pulse length, stress and strength drop, as well as slip weakening distance and wall rock stiffness. These studies, however, have generally treated injection vein formation as a purely elastic process and have assumed that processes of melt generation, transport, and solidification have little influence on the final vein geometry. Using a modified analytical approximation of injection vein formation based on a dike intrusion model we find that the timescales of quenching and flow propagation are similar for a composite set of injection veins compiled from the Asbestos Mountain Fault, USA (Rowe et al., 2012), Gole Larghe Fault Zone, Italy (Griffith et al., 2012) and the Fort Foster Brittle Zone. This indicates a complex, dynamic process whose behavior is not fully captured by the current approach. To assess the applicability of the simplifying assumptions of the dike model when applied to injection veins we employ a finite-element time-dependent model of injection vein formation. This model couples elastic deformation of the wall rock with the fluid dynamics and heat transfer of the frictional melt. The final geometry of many injection veins is unaffected by the inclusion of these processes. However, some injection veins are found to be flow limited, with a final geometry reflecting cooling of the vein before it reaches an elastic equilibrium with the wall rock. In these cases, numerical results are significantly different from the dike model, and two basic assumptions of the dike model, self-similar growth and a uniform pressure gradient, are shown to be false. Additionally, we apply the finite-element model to provide two new constraints on the Fort Foster coseismic environment: a lower limit on the initial melt temperature of 1400 *C, and either significant coseismic wall rock softening or high transient tensile stress.

Strike-slip faulting in the Inner California Borderlands, offshore Southern California.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bormann, J. M.; Kent, G. M.; Driscoll, N. W.; Harding, A. J.; Sahakian, V. J.; Holmes, J. J.; Klotsko, S.; Kell, A. M.; Wesnousky, S. G.

2015-12-01

In the Inner California Borderlands (ICB), offshore of Southern California, modern dextral strike-slip faulting overprints a prominent system of basins and ridges formed during plate boundary reorganization 30-15 Ma. Geodetic data indicate faults in the ICB accommodate 6-8 mm/yr of Pacific-North American plate boundary deformation; however, the hazard posed by the ICB faults is poorly understood due to unknown fault geometry and loosely constrained slip rates. We present observations from high-resolution and reprocessed legacy 2D multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection datasets and multibeam bathymetry to constrain the modern fault architecture and tectonic evolution of the ICB. We use a sequence stratigraphy approach to identify discrete episodes of deformation in the MCS data and present the results of our mapping in a regional fault model that distinguishes active faults from relict structures. Significant differences exist between our model of modern ICB deformation and existing models. From east to west, the major active faults are the Newport-Inglewood/Rose Canyon, Palos Verdes, San Diego Trough, and San Clemente fault zones. Localized deformation on the continental slope along the San Mateo, San Onofre, and Carlsbad trends results from geometrical complexities in the dextral fault system. Undeformed early to mid-Pleistocene age sediments onlap and overlie deformation associated with the northern Coronado Bank fault (CBF) and the breakaway zone of the purported Oceanside Blind Thrust. Therefore, we interpret the northern CBF to be inactive, and slip rate estimates based on linkage with the Holocene active Palos Verdes fault are unwarranted. In the western ICB, the San Diego Trough fault (SDTF) and San Clemente fault have robust linear geomorphic expression, which suggests that these faults may accommodate a significant portion of modern ICB slip in a westward temporal migration of slip. The SDTF offsets young sediments between the US/Mexico border and the eastern margin of Avalon Knoll, where the fault is spatially coincident and potentially linked with the San Pedro Basin fault (SPBF). Kinematic linkage between the SDTF and the SPBF increases the potential rupture length for earthquakes on either fault and may allow events nucleating on the SDTF to propagate much closer to the LA Basin.

Geometry and structure of the pull-apart basins developed along the western South American-Scotia plate boundary (SW Atlantic Ocean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esteban, F. D.; Tassone, A.; Isola, J. I.; Lodolo, E.; Menichetti, M.

2018-04-01

The South American-Scotia plate boundary is a left-lateral fault system which runs roughly E-W for more than 3000 km across the SW Atlantic Ocean and the Tierra del Fuego Island, reaching to the west the southern Chile Trench. Analyses of a large dataset of single- and multi-channel seismic reflection profiles acquired offshore has allowed to map the trace of the plate boundary from Tierra del Fuego to the Malvinas Trough, a tectonic depression located in the eastern part of the fault system, and to reconstruct the shape and geometry of the basins formed along the principal displacement zone of the fault system. Three main Neogene pull-apart basins that range from 70 to 100 km in length, and from 12 to 22 km in width, have been identified along this segment of the plate boundary. These basins have elongated shapes with their major axes parallel to the ENE-WSW direction of the fault zone. The sedimentary architecture and the infill geometry of the basins suggest that they represent mostly strike-slip dominated transtension basins which propagated from E to W. The basins imaged by seismic data show in some cases geometrical and structural features linked to the possible reactivation of previous wedge-top basins and inherited structures pertaining to the external front of the Magallanes fold-and-thrust compression belt, along which the South American-Scotia fault system has been superimposed. It is suggested that the sequence of the elongated basins occur symmetrically to a thorough going strike-slip fault, in a left-stepping geometrical arrangement, in a manner similar to those basins seen in other transcurrent environments.

Spatial variations in deformation mechanisms along the Main Central thrust zone: Implications for the evolution of the MCT in the Darjeeling -Sikkim Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, Kathakali; Mitra, Gautam

2014-12-01

In the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya, we recognize two distinct MCT sheets: the structurally higher MCT1 and the lower MCT2. Microstructural studies from three different segments along the transport direction of the MCT2 fault zone suggest that the fault has undergone strain softening by different mechanisms. The geometry of the tapered crystalline orogenic wedge resulted in variation of overburden along the MCT2. Strain softening by different deformation mechanisms accommodated translation of ⩾100 km along a thin MCT2 fault zone. As the mylonitic trailing part of the MCT2 in Pelling had the greatest overburden, deformation took place by dislocation creep in quartz and by microfracturing in feldspar. Reaction softening of feldspar produced an intrinsically weak matrix that primarily controlled the deformation, resulting in a strain softening fault zone. At Soreng MCT2 zone, under intermediate crustal conditions, finer-grained recrystallized quartz and micaceous matrix deformed by grain-size sensitive diffusion creep mechanisms resulting in strain softening. The fault rocks at Sivitar had the least overburden and record a prominent mineralogical change from the protolith; strain softening occurred by pressure solution slip, possibly by a combination of grain-size reduction by cataclasis and an increase in fluid activity.

Pore network properties of sandstones in a fault damage zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bossennec, Claire; Géraud, Yves; Moretti, Isabelle; Mattioni, Luca; Stemmelen, Didier

2018-05-01

The understanding of fluid flow in faulted sandstones is based on a wide range of techniques. These depend on the multi-method determination of petrological and structural features, porous network properties and both spatial and temporal variations and interactions of these features. The question of the multi-parameter analysis on fluid flow controlling properties is addressed for an outcrop damage zone in the hanging wall of a normal fault zone on the western border of the Upper Rhine Graben, affecting the Buntsandstein Group (Early Triassic). Diagenetic processes may alter the original pore type and geometry in fractured and faulted sandstones. Therefore, these may control the ultimate porosity and permeability of the damage zone. The classical model of evolution of hydraulic properties with distance from the major fault core is nuanced here. The hydraulic behavior of the rock media is better described by a pluri-scale model including: 1) The grain scale, where the hydraulic properties are controlled by sedimentary features, the distance from the fracture, and the impact of diagenetic processes. These result in the ultimate porous network characteristics observed. 2) A larger scale, where the structural position and characteristics (density, connectivity) of the fracture corridors are strongly correlated with both geo-mechanical and hydraulic properties within the damage zone.

Crestal fault geometries reveal late halokinesis and collapse of the Samson Dome, Northern Norway: Implications for petroleum systems in the Barents Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattos, Nathalia H.; Alves, Tiago M.; Omosanya, Kamaldeen O.

2016-10-01

This paper uses 2D and high-quality 3D seismic reflection data to assess the geometry and kinematics of the Samson Dome, offshore Norway, revising the implications of the new data to hydrocarbon exploration in the Barents Sea. The study area was divided into three (3) zones in terms of fault geometries and predominant strikes. Displacement-length (D-x) and Throw-depth (T-z) plots showed faults to consist of several segments that were later dip-linked. Interpreted faults were categorised into three families, with Type A comprising crestal faults, Type B representing large E-W faults, and Type C consisting of polygonal faults. The Samson Dome was formed in three major stages: a) a first stage recording buckling of the post-salt overburden and generation of radial faults; b) a second stage involving dissolution and collapse of the dome, causing subsidence of the overburden and linkage of initially isolated fault segments; and c) a final stage in which large fault segments were developed. Late Cretaceous faults strike predominantly to the NW, whereas NE-trending faults comprise Triassic structures that were reactivated in a later stage. Our work provides scarce evidence for the escape of hydrocarbons in the Samson Dome. In addition, fault analyses based on present-day stress distributions indicate a tendency for 'locking' of faults at depth, with the largest leakage factors occurring close to the surface. The Samson Dome is an analogue to salt structures in the Barents Sea where oil and gas exploration has occurred with varied degrees of success.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cleveland, K. Michael; VanDeMark, Thomas F.; Ammon, Charles J.

We report that double-difference methods applied to cross-correlation measured Rayleigh wave time shifts are an effective tool to improve epicentroid locations and relative origin time shifts in remote regions. We apply these methods to seismicity offshore of southwestern Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, occurring along the boundaries of the Pacific and Juan de Fuca (including the Explorer Plate and Gorda Block) Plates. The Blanco, Mendocino, Revere-Dellwood, Nootka, and Sovanco fracture zones host the majority of this seismicity, largely consisting of strike-slip earthquakes. The Explorer, Juan de Fuca, and Gorda spreading ridges join these fracture zones and host normal faultingmore » earthquakes. Our results show that at least the moderate-magnitude activity clusters along fault strike, supporting suggestions of large variations in seismic coupling along oceanic transform faults. Our improved relative locations corroborate earlier interpretations of the internal deformation in the Explorer and Gorda Plates. North of the Explorer Plate, improved locations support models that propose northern extension of the Revere-Dellwood fault. Relocations also support interpretations that favor multiple parallel active faults along the Blanco Transform Fault Zone. Seismicity of the western half of the Blanco appears more scattered and less collinear than the eastern half, possibly related to fault maturity. We use azimuthal variations in the Rayleigh wave cross-correlation amplitude to detect and model rupture directivity for a moderate size earthquake along the eastern Blanco Fault. Lastly, the observations constrain the seismogenic zone geometry and suggest a relatively narrow seismogenic zone width of 2 to 4 km.« less

Geologic and Geophysical Framework of the Santa Rosa 7.5' Quadrangle, Sonoma County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

McLaughlin, R.J.; Langenheim, V.E.; Sarna-Wojcicki, A. M.; Fleck, R.J.; McPhee, D.K.; Roberts, C.W.; McCabe, C.A.; Wan, Elmira

2008-01-01

The geologic and geophysical maps of Santa Rosa 7.5? quadrangle and accompanying structure sections portray the sedimentary and volcanic stratigraphy and crustal structure of the Santa Rosa 7.5? quadrangle and provide a context for interpreting the evolution of volcanism and active faulting in this region. The quadrangle is located in the California Coast Ranges north of San Francisco Bay and is traversed by the active Rodgers Creek, Healdsburg and Maacama Fault Zones. The geologic and geophysical data presented in this report, are substantial improvements over previous geologic and geophysical maps of the Santa Rosa area, allowing us to address important geologic issues. First, the geologic mapping is integrated with gravity and magnetic data, allowing us to depict the thicknesses of Cenozoic deposits, the depth and configuration of the Mesozoic basement surface, and the geometry of fault structures beneath this region to depths of several kilometers. This information has important implications for constraining the geometries of major active faults and for understanding and predicting the distribution and intensity of damage from ground shaking during earthquakes. Secondly, the geologic map and the accompanying description of the area describe in detail the distribution, geometry and complexity of faulting associated with the Rodgers Creek, Healdsburg and Bennett Valley Fault Zones and associated faults in the Santa Rosa quadrangle. The timing of fault movements is constrained by new 40Ar/39Ar ages and tephrochronologic correlations. These new data provide a better understanding of the stratigraphy of the extensive sedimentary and volcanic cover in the area and, in particular, clarify the formational affinities of Pliocene and Pleistocene nonmarine sedimentary units in the map area. Thirdly, the geophysics, particularly gravity data, indicate the locations of thick sections of sedimentary and volcanic fill within ground water basins of the Santa Rosa plain and Rincon, Bennett, and northwestern Sonoma Valleys, providing geohydrologists a more realistic framework for groundwater flow models.

Upper crustal structure in Puget Lowland, Washington: Results from the 1998 Seismic Hazards Investigation in Puget Sound

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brocher, T.M.; Parsons, T.; Blakely, R.J.; Christensen, N.I.; Fisher, M.A.; Wells, R.E.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Pratt, T.L.; Crosson, R.S.; Creager, K.C.; Symons, N.P.; Preston, L.A.; Van Wagoner, T.; Miller, K.C.; Snelson, C.M.; Trehu, A.M.; Langenheim, V.E.; Spence, G.D.; Ramachandran, K.; Hyndman, R.A.; Mosher, D.C.; Zelt, B.C.; Weaver, C.S.

2001-01-01

A new three-dimensional (3-D) model shows seismic velocities beneath the Puget Lowland to a depth of 11 km. The model is based on a tomographic inversion of nearly one million first-arrival travel times recorded during the 1998 Seismic Hazards Investigation in Puget Sound (SHIPS), allowing higher-resolution mapping of subsurface structures than previously possible. The model allows us to refine the subsurface geometry of previously proposed faults (e.g., Seattle, Hood Canal, southern Whidbey Island, and Devils Mountain fault zones) as well as to identify structures (Tacoma, Lofall, and Sequim fault zones) that warrant additional study. The largest and most important of these newly identified structures lies along the northern boundary of the Tacoma basin; we informally refer to this structure here as the Tacoma fault zone. Although tomography cannot provide information on the recency of motion on any structure, Holocene earthquake activity on the Tacoma fault zone is suggested by seismicity along it and paleoseismic evidence for abrupt uplift of tidal marsh deposits to its north. The tomography reveals four large, west to northwest trending low-velocity basins (Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, and Port Townsend) separated by regions of higher velocity ridges that are coincident with fault-bounded uplifts of Eocene Crescent Formation basalt and pre-Tertiary basement. The shapes of the basins and uplifts are similar to those observed in gravity data; gravity anomalies calculated from the 3-D tomography model are in close agreement with the observed anomalies. In velocity cross sections the Tacoma and Seattle basins are asymmetric: the basin floor dips gently toward a steep boundary with the adjacent high-velocity uplift, locally with a velocity "overhang" that suggests a basin vergent thrust fault boundary. Crustal fault zones grow from minor folds into much larger structures along strike. Inferred structural relief across the Tacoma fault zone increases by several kilometers westward along the fault zone to Lynch Cove, where we interpret it as a zone of south vergent faulting overthrusting Tacoma basin. In contrast, structural relief along the Seattle fault zone decreases west of Seattle, which we interpret as evidence that the N-S directed compression is being accommodated by slip transfer between the Seattle and Tacoma fault zones. Together, the Tacoma and Seattle fault zones raise the Seattle uplift, one of a series of east-west trending, pop-up structures underlying Puget Lowland from the Black Hills to the San Juan Islands. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.

Upper crustal structure in Puget Lowland, Washington: Results from the 1998 Seismic Hazards Investigation in Puget Sound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brocher, Thomas M.; Parsons, Tom; Blakely, Richard J.; Christensen, Nikolas I.; Fisher, Michael A.; Wells, Ray E.

2001-01-01

A new three-dimensional (3-D) model shows seismic velocities beneath the Puget Lowland to a depth of 11 km. The model is based on a tomographic inversion of nearly one million first-arrival travel times recorded during the 1998 Seismic Hazards Investigation in Puget Sound (SHIPS), allowing higher-resolution mapping of subsurface structures than previously possible. The model allows us to refine the subsurface geometry of previously proposed faults (e.g., Seattle, Hood Canal, southern Whidbey Island, and Devils Mountain fault zones) as well as to identify structures (Tacoma, Lofall, and Sequim fault zones) that warrant additional study. The largest and most important of these newly identified structures lies along the northern boundary of the Tacoma basin; we informally refer to this structure here as the Tacoma fault zone. Although tomography cannot provide information on the recency of motion on any structure, Holocene earthquake activity on the Tacoma fault zone is suggested by seismicity along it and paleoseismic evidence for abrupt uplift of tidal marsh deposits to its north. The tomography reveals four large, west to northwest trending low-velocity basins (Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, and Port Townsend) separated by regions of higher velocity ridges that are coincident with fault-bounded uplifts of Eocene Crescent Formation basalt and pre-Tertiary basement. The shapes of the basins and uplifts are similar to those observed in gravity data; gravity anomalies calculated from the 3-D tomography model are in close agreement with the observed anomalies. In velocity cross sections the Tacoma and Seattle basins are asymmetric: the basin floor dips gently toward a steep boundary with the adjacent high-velocity uplift, locally with a velocity "overhang" that suggests a basin vergent thrust fault boundary. Crustal fault zones grow from minor folds into much larger structures along strike. Inferred structural relief across the Tacoma fault zone increases by several kilometers westward along the fault zone to Lynch Cove, where we interpret it as a zone of south vergent faulting overthrusting Tacoma basin. In contrast, structural relief along the Seattle fault zone decreases west of Seattle, which we interpret as evidence that the N-S directed compression is being accommodated by slip transfer between the Seattle and Tacoma fault zones. Together, the Tacoma and Seattle fault zones raise the Seattle uplift, one of a series of east-west trending, pop-up structures underlying Puget Lowland from the Black Hills to the San Juan Islands.

Modeling frictional melt injection to constrain coseismic physical conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawyer, William J.; Resor, Phillip G.

2017-07-01

Pseudotachylyte, a fault rock formed through coseismic frictional melting, provides an important record of coseismic mechanics. In particular, injection veins formed at a high angle to the fault surface have been used to estimate rupture directivity, velocity, pulse length, stress drop, as well as slip weakening distance and wall rock stiffness. These studies have generally treated injection vein formation as a purely elastic process and have assumed that processes of melt generation, transport, and solidification have little influence on the final vein geometry. Using a pressurized crack model, an analytical approximation of injection vein formation based on dike intrusion, we find that the timescales of quenching and flow propagation may be similar for a subset of injection veins compiled from the Asbestos Mountain Fault, USA, Gole Larghe Fault Zone, Italy, and the Fort Foster Brittle Zone, USA under minimum melt temperature conditions. 34% of the veins are found to be flow limited, with a final geometry that may reflect cooling of the vein before it reaches an elastic equilibrium with the wall rock. Formation of these veins is a dynamic process whose behavior is not fully captured by the analytical approach. To assess the applicability of simplifying assumptions of the pressurized crack we employ a time-dependent finite-element model of injection vein formation that couples elastic deformation of the wall rock with the fluid dynamics and heat transfer of the frictional melt. This finite element model reveals that two basic assumptions of the pressurized crack model, self-similar growth and a uniform pressure gradient, are false. The pressurized crack model thus underestimates flow propagation time by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Flow limiting may therefore occur under a wider range of conditions than previously thought. Flow-limited veins may be recognizable in the field where veins have tapered profiles or smaller aspect ratios than expected. The occurrence and shape of injection veins can be coupled with modeling to provide an independent estimate of minimum melt temperature. Finally, the large aspect ratio observed for all three populations of injection veins may be best explained by a large reduction in stiffness associated with coseismic damage, as injection vein growth is likely to far exceed the lifetime of dynamic stresses at any location along a fault.

A method and example of seismically imaging near‐surface fault zones in geologically complex areas using Vp, Vs, and their ratios

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, Rufus D.; Rymer, Michael J.; Goldman, Mark R.; Sickler, Robert R.; Criley, Coyn J.

2014-01-01

The determination of near‐surface (vadose zone and slightly below) fault locations and geometries is important because assessment of ground rupture, strong shaking, geologic slip rates, and rupture histories occurs at shallow depths. However, seismic imaging of fault zones at shallow depths can be difficult due to near‐surface complexities, such as weathering, groundwater saturation, massive (nonlayered) rocks, and vertically layered strata. Combined P‐ and S‐wave seismic‐refraction tomography data can overcome many of the near‐surface, fault‐zone seismic‐imaging problems because of differences in the responses of elastic (bulk and shear) moduli of P and S waves to shallow‐depth, fault‐zone properties. We show that high‐resolution refraction tomography images of P‐ to S‐wave velocity ratios (VP/VS) can reliably identify near‐surface faults. We demonstrate this method using tomography images of the San Andreas fault (SAF) surface‐rupture zone associated with the 18 April 1906 ∼M 7.9 San Francisco earthquake on the San Francisco peninsula in California. There, the SAF cuts through Franciscan mélange, which consists of an incoherent assemblage of greywacke, chert, greenstone, and serpentinite. A near‐vertical zone (∼75° northeast dip) of high P‐wave velocities (up to 3000  m/s), low S‐wave velocities (∼150–600  m/s), high VP/VS ratios (4–8.8), and high Poisson’s ratios (0.44–0.49) characterizes the main surface‐rupture zone to a depth of about 20 m and is consistent with nearby trench observations. We suggest that the combined VP/VSimaging approach can reliably identify most near‐surface fault zones in locations where many other seismic methods cannot be applied.

Incipient Evolution of the Eastern California Shear Zone through a Transpressional Zone along the San Andreas Fault in the San Bernardino Mountains, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochran, W. J.; Spotila, J. A.

2017-12-01

Measuring long-term accumulation of strike-slip displacements and transpressional uplift is difficult where strain is accommodated across wide shear zones, as opposed to a single major fault. The Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ) in southern California accommodates dextral shear across several strike-slip faults, and is potentially migrating and cutting through a formerly convergent zone of the San Bernardino Mountains (SBM). The advection of crust along the San Andreas fault to the SE has forced these two tectonic regimes into creating a nexus of interacting strike-slip faults north of San Gorgonio Pass. These elements make this region ideal for studying complex fault interactions, evolving fault geometries, and deformational overprinting within a wide shear zone. Using high-resolution topography and field mapping, this study aims to test whether diffuse, poorly formed strike-slip faults within the uplifted SBM block are nascent elements of the ECSZ. Topographic resolution of ≤ 1m was achieved using both lidar and UAV surveys along two Quaternary strike-slip faults, namely the Lake Peak fault and Lone Valley faults. Although the Lone Valley fault cuts across Quaternary alluvium, the geomorphic expression is obscured, and may be the result of slow slip rates. In contrast, the Lake Peak fault is located high elevations north of San Gorgonio Peak in the SBM, and displaces Quaternary glacial deposits. The deposition of large boulders along the escarpment also obscures the apparent magnitude of slip along the fault. Although determining fault offset is difficult, the Lake Peak fault does display evidence for minor right-lateral displacement, where the magnitude of slip would be consistent with individual faults within the ECSZ (i.e. ≤ 1 mm/yr). Compared to the preservation of displacement along strike-slip faults located within the Mojave Desert, the upland region of the SBM adds complexity for measuring fault offset. The distribution of strain across the entire SBM block, the slow rates of slip, and the geomorphic expression of these faults add difficulty for assessing fault-slip evolution. Although evidence for diffuse dextral faulting exists within the formerly uplifted SBM block, future work is needed along these faults to determine if the ECSZ is migrating west.

Fault zone reverberations from cross-correlations of earthquake waveforms and seismic noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillers, Gregor; Campillo, Michel

2016-03-01

Seismic wavefields interact with low-velocity fault damage zones. Waveforms of ballistic fault zone head waves, trapped waves, reflected waves and signatures of trapped noise can provide important information on structural and mechanical fault zone properties. Here we extend the class of observable fault zone waves and reconstruct in-fault reverberations or multiples in a strike-slip faulting environment. Manifestations of the reverberations are significant, consistent wave fronts in the coda of cross-correlation functions that are obtained from scattered earthquake waveforms and seismic noise recorded by a linear fault zone array. The physical reconstruction of Green's functions is evident from the high similarity between the signals obtained from the two different scattered wavefields. Modal partitioning of the reverberation wavefield can be tuned using different data normalization techniques. The results imply that fault zones create their own ambiance, and that the here reconstructed reverberations are a key seismic signature of wear zones. Using synthetic waveform modelling we show that reverberations can be used for the imaging of structural units by estimating the location, extend and magnitude of lateral velocity contrasts. The robust reconstruction of the reverberations from noise records suggests the possibility to resolve the response of the damage zone material to various external and internal loading mechanisms.

Abrupt along-strike change in tectonic style: San Andreas fault zone, San Francisco Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zoback, M.L.; Jachens, R.C.; Olson, J.A.

1999-01-01

Seismicity and high-resolution aeromagnetic data are used to define an abrupt change from compressional to extensional tectonism within a 10- to 15-km-wide zone along the San Andreas fault on the San Francisco Peninsula and offshore from the Golden Gate. This 100-km-long section of the San Andreas fault includes the hypocenter of the Mw = 7.8 1906 San Francisco earthquake as well as the highest level of persistent microseismicity along that ???470-km-long rupture. We define two distinct zones of deformation along this stretch of the fault using well-constrained relocations of all post-1969 earthquakes based a joint one-dimensional velocity/hypocenter inversion and a redetermination of focal mechanisms. The southern zone is characterized by thrust- and reverse-faulting focal mechanisms with NE trending P axes that indicate "fault-normal" compression in 7- to 10-km-wide zones of deformation on both sides of the San Andreas fault. A 1- to 2-km-wide vertical zone beneath the surface trace of the San Andreas is characterized by its almost complete lack of seismicity. The compressional deformation is consistent with the young, high topography of the Santa Cruz Mountains/Coast Ranges as the San Andreas fault makes a broad restraining left bend (???10??) through the southernmost peninsula. A zone of seismic quiescence ???15 km long separates this compressional zone to the south from a zone of combined normal-faulting and strike-slip-faulting focal mechanisms (including a ML = 5.3 earthquake in 1957) on the northernmost peninsula and offshore on the Golden Gate platform. Both linear pseudo-gravity gradients, calculated from the aeromagnetic data, and seismic reflection data indicate that the San Andreas fault makes an abrupt ???3-km right step less than 5 km offshore in this northern zone. A similar right-stepping (dilatational) geometry is also observed for the subparallel San Gregorio fault offshore. Persistent seismicity and extensional tectonism occur within the San Andreas right stepover region and at least 15 km along-strike both to the SE and NW. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake may have nucleated within the San Andreas right stepover, which may help explain the bilateral nature of rupture of this event. Our analysis suggests two seismic hazards for the San Francisco Peninsula in addition to the hazard associated with a M = 7 to 8 strike-slip earthquake along the San Andreas fault: the potential for a M ??? 6 normal-faulting earthquake just 5-8 km west of San Francisco and a M = 6+ thrust faulting event in the southern peninsula.

Ground Surface Deformation in Unconsolidated Sediments Caused by Bedrock Fault Movements: Dip-Slip and Strike-Slip Fault Model Test and Field Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueta, K.; Tani, K.

2001-12-01

Sandbox experiments were performed to investigate ground surface deformation in unconsolidated sediments caused by dip-slip and strike-slip motion on bedrock faults. A 332.5 cm long, 200 cm high, and 40 cm wide sandbox was used in a dip-slip fault model test. In the strike-slip fault test, a 600 cm long, 250 cm wide, and 60 cm high sandbox and a 170 cm long, 25 cm wide, 15 cm high sandbox were used. Computerized X-ray tomography applied to the sandbox experiments made it possible to analyze the kinematic evolution, as well as the three-dimensional geometry, of the faults. The fault type, fault dip, fault displacement, thickness and density of sandpack and grain size of the sand were varied for different experiments. Field survey of active faults in Japan and California were also made to investigate the deformation of unconsolidated sediments overlying bedrock faults. A comparison of the experimental results with natural cases of active faults reveals the following: (1) In the case of dip-slip faulting, the shear bands are not shown as one linear plane but as en echelon pattern. Thicker and finer unconsolidated sediments produce more shear bands and clearer en echelon shear band patterns. (2) In the case of left-lateral strike-slip faulting, the deformation of the sand pack with increasing basement displacement is observed as follows. a) In three dimensions, the right-stepping shears that have a "cirque" / "shell" / "ship body" shape develop on both sides of the basement fault. The shears on one side of the basement fault join those on the other side, resulting in helicoidal shaped shear surfaces. Shears reach the surface of the sand near or above the basement fault and en echelon Riedel shears are observed at the surface of the sand. b) Right-stepping pressure ridges develop within the zone defined by the Riedel shears. c) Lower-angle shears generally branch off from the first Riedel shears. d) Right-stepping helicoidal shaped lower-angle shears offset Riedel shears and pressure ridges, and left-stepping and right-stepping pressure ridges are observed. d) With displacement concentrated on the central throughgoing fault zone, a "Zone of shear band" (ZSB) developed directly above the basement fault. The geometry of the ZSB shows a strong resemblance to linear ridge and trough geomorphology associated with active strike-slip faulting. (3) In the case of normal faulting, the location of the surface fault rupture is just above the bedrock faults, which have no relationship with the fault dip. On the other hand, the location of the surface rupture of the reverse fault has closely relationship with the fault dip. In the case of strike-slip faulting, the width of the deformation zone in dense sand is wider than that in loose sand. (4) The horizontal distance of surface rupture from the bedrock fault normalized by the height of sand mass (W/H) does not depend on the height of sand mass and grain size of sand. The values of W/H from the test agree well with those of earthquake faults. (5) The normalized base displacement required to propagate the shear rupture zone to the ground surface (D/H), in the case of normal faulting, is lower than those for reverse faulting and strike-slip faulting.

Imaging of Fine Shallow Structure Beneath the Longmenshan Fault Zone from Ambient Noise Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, P.; Campillo, M.; Chen, J.; Liu, Q.

2016-12-01

Short period seismic ambient noise group velocity dispersion curve, obtained from cross correlation of vertical component of 57 stations around the Longmenshan fault zone deployed after the Wenchuan earthquake and continuously observed for 1 year, is used to inverse the S wave velocity structure of the top 25 km of the central to northern part of Longmenshan fault zone. A iterative correction method based on 3-D simulation is proposed to reduce the influence of elevation. After 7 times of correction, a fine shllow S-wave velocity structure comes out. The results show that (1) Velocity structure above 10 km keeps good consistency with the surface fault system around Longmenshan, and controls the deep extension features of most major faults. Below the depth of 15 km, the velocity structure presents cross tectonic frame work along both Longmenshan and Minshan. The complex structure may have affected the rupture process of the Wenchuan earthquake. (2) The depth velocity structure profiles give good constraint for the deep geometry of main faults. The characteristics of the high angle, listric, reverse structure of the Longmenshan faults is further confirmed by our results.(3) At southern part of the study area, low-velocity structure is found at about 20km depth beneath the Pengguan massif, which is related to the low velocity layer in the middle crust of Songpan-Ganzi block. This may be an evidence for the existence of brittle-ductile transition zone in southern part of the rupture zone of the Wenchuan earthquake at the depth around 22km. Our results show the great potential of short period ambient noise tomography with data from densepassive seismic array in the study of fine velocity structure and fault zone imaging.

Estimation of fault geometry of a slow slip event off the Kii Peninsula, southwest of Japan, detected by DONET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, K.; Nakano, M.; Hori, T.; Takahashi, N.

2015-12-01

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology installed permanent ocean bottom observation network called Dense Oceanfloor Network System for Earthquakes and Tsunamis (DONET) off the Kii Peninsula, southwest of Japan, to monitor earthquakes and tsunamis. We detected the long-term vertical displacements of sea floor from the ocean-bottom pressure records, starting from March 2013, at several DONET stations (Suzuki et al., 2014). We consider that these displacements were caused by the crustal deformation due to a slow slip event (SSE). 　We estimated the fault geometry of the SSE by using the observed ocean-bottom displacements. The ocean-bottom displacements were obtained by removing the tidal components from the pressure records. We also subtracted the average of pressure changes taken over the records at stations connected to each science node from each record in order to remove the contributions due to atmospheric pressure changes and non-tidal ocean dynamic mass variations. Therefore we compared observed displacements with the theoretical ones that was subtracted the average displacement in the fault geometry estimation. We also compared observed and theoretical average displacements for the model evaluation. In this study, the observed average displacements were assumed to be zero. Although there are nine parameters in the fault model, we observed vertical displacements at only four stations. Therefore we assumed three fault geometries; (1) a reverse fault slip along the plate boundary, (2) a strike slip along a splay fault, and (3) a reverse fault slip along the splay fault. We obtained that the model (3) gives the smallest residual between observed and calculated displacements. We also observed that this SSE was synchronized with a decrease in the background seismicity within the area of a nearby earthquake cluster. In the future, we will investigate the relationship between the SSE and the seismicity change.

Holocene Paleoearthquake History on the Qingchuan Fault in the Northeastern Segment of the Longmenshan Thrust Zone and Its Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, H.; He, H.; Ikeda, Y.; Kano, K.; Shi, F.; Gao, W.; Echigo, T.; Okada, S.

2017-12-01

Although much work has been performed for faults with high slip-rates, little attention has been paid to low slip-rate faults, such as the Longmenshan Thrust Zone (LTZ). The LTZ is a long and matured fault that evolved during the Mesozoic as a structural boundary, but its Quaternary activity had been considered insignificant. The Wenchuan earthquake and the following Lushan earthquake on the central and southwestern segments of the LTZ not only demonstrate its capability for strong earthquakes but also illustrate the necessity of assessing the regional seismic potential around its northeastern extension. The sparse seismicity along the northeastern segment of the LTZ relative to the very seismically active Minshan Uplift seems to have suggested that the slip on the central LTZ transfers northeastward to the Minshan Uplift, so that its northeastern segment is inactive. However, the Wenchuan earthquake surface rupture and aftershocks extended beyond the Minshan Uplift, and revealed that the break both at and below the ground surface may have reached the northeastern segment of the LTZ raising a question that whether or not this fault segment is active. Although several studies had been carried out on the northeastern segment of the LTZ, little is known about its activity and seismic potential. To solve these problems, we conducted paleoseismological trench excavations on the Qingchuan fault (QF) in the northeastern LTZ and identified one (and the latest) event occurred in the Holocene. Based on radiocarbon dating, the event is constrained to occur between 4115-3820 B.C., and a long recurrence interval is thus estimated. Judging from the matured fault structure of the QF, the latest event was likely to have ruptured the full length of the QF, and was estimated to be Mw 7.6-7.9 according to empirical scaling laws. Using the slip rate and the elapsed time since the last event, it is estimated an accumulated seismic moment equivalent to Mw 7.5 on the QF. Considering the increased Coulomb failure stress and the shortened time of earthquake recurrence triggered by the Wenchuan earthquake, it is suggested a high seismic risk along the QF and its neighboring area. Furthermore, the slow strain buildup, unadapted geometry, and matured fault structure of the LTZ may be the reason why it produces rare but large intraplate earthquakes.

Effect of footwall structures on kinematic evolution of dominant thrusts from hinterland of an orogenic wedge: Insights from Sikkim Himalayan FTB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Pritam; Bhattacharyya, Kathakali

2017-04-01

Deformation profile of a thrust sheet is generally characterized by a dominance of simple-shear toward the base and pure-shear higher up. In this study, we attempt to examine the effect of underlying footwall structure on the evolution of such a deformation profile with time. We focus on two dominant thrusts of the Sikkim Himalayan FTB, the northern most Main Central thrust (MCT) and its major footwall thrust, the Pelling thrust (PT). The MCT and the PT sheets are folded in an E-W trending antiform-synform pair by the growth of the underlying Lesser Himalayan duplex. The PT acts as the roof thrust of the duplex. The coarse-grained, quartzo-feldspathic gneissic protoliths transform into quartz-mica mylonite forming ˜1170m thick amphibolite facies MCT zone and ˜938m thick greenschist facies PT zone. Due to the forelandward progression of deformation front, the overlying MCT foliation is superposed by the underlying PT foliation. Within both the fault zones, quartz has undergone grain-size reduction dominantly by dislocation creep, and feldspar by fracturing mechanism. Interestingly, microfracturing is more dominant in MCT zone than in the PT zone. Additionally, pressure solution is significantly higher in the PT zone than in the MCT. Thus, there is a spatial variation in deformation mechanisms within the MCT and PT zones. Based on recrystallized quartz grain-sizes, we estimate deformation temperatures of ˜430˚ C-510˚ C and ˜400˚ C-430˚ C within the MCT and the PT, respectively. Both quartz and feldspar grains record a higher flattening strain in the MCT zone than in the PT zone. We infer fracturing and pressure solution accommodated a significant amount of strain, thereby under-representing the viscoplastic strain. Estimation of kinematic vorticity from two different incremental strain markers, namely oblique-fabric and subgrains, indicate both the MCT and the PT zones record a progressively higher pure-shear dominated deformation with time. The PT zone records a higher pure-shear than the MCT zone. Therefore, integration of structural geometry, microstructure and kinematic data suggest that the PT fault zone records the effect of footwall duplex more prominently than the MCT fault zone. We attribute the temporal evolution toward a pure-shear dominated deformation within the PT zone due to the growth of the underlying Lesser Himalayan duplex.

Origin and evolution of the Seattle Fault and Seattle Basin, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, S.Y.; Potter, C.J.; Armentrout, J.M.

1994-01-01

Analysis of seismic reflection data reveals that the Seattle basin (Washington) is markedly asymmetric and consists of ~9-10 km of Eocene and younger deposits. The basin began as a discrete geologic element in the late Eocene (~40 Ma), the result of a reorganization in regional fault geometry and kinematics. In this reorganization, dextral offset on the Puget fault southeast of Seattle stepped eastward, and the Seattle fault began as a restraining transfer zone. North-vergent reverse or thrust faulting on the Seattle fault forced flexural subsidence in the Seattle basin to the north. Offset on the Seattle fault and subsidence of the Seattle basin have continued to the present. -Authors

Fault geometries illuminated from seismicity in central Taiwan: Implications for crustal scale structural boundaries in the northern Central Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gourley, Jonathan R.; Byrne, Timothy; Chan, Yu-Chang; Wu, Francis; Rau, Ruey-Juin

2007-12-01

Data sets of collapsed earthquake locations, earthquake focal mechanisms, GPS velocities and geologic data are integrated to constrain the geometry and kinematics of a crustal block within the accreted continental margin rocks of Taiwan's northeastern Central Range. This block is laterally extruding and exhuming towards the north-northeast. The block is bound on the west-southwest by the previously recognized Sanyi-Puli seismic zone and on the east by a vertical seismic structure that projects to the eastern mountain front of the Central Range. Focal mechanisms from the Broadband Array of Taiwan Seismicity (BATS) catalog consistently show west-side-up reverse displacements for this fault zone. A second vertical structure is recognized beneath the Slate Belt-Metamorphic Belt boundary as a post-Chi-Chi relaxation oblique normal fault. BATS focal mechanisms show east-side-up, normal displacements with a minor left-lateral component. The vertical and lateral extrusion of this crustal block may be driven by the current collision between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Puli basement high indenter on the Eurasian Plate and/or trench rollback along the Ryukyu subduction zone. In addition, the vertical extent of the two shear zones suggests that a basal décollement below the eastern Central Range is deeper than previously proposed and may extend below the brittle-ductile transition.

A New Geological Slip Rate Estimate for the Calico Fault, Eastern California: Implications for Geodetic Versus Geologic Rate Estimates in the Eastern California Shear Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetmore, P. H.; Xie, S.; Gallant, E.; Owen, L. A.; Dixon, T. H.

2017-12-01

Fault slip rate is fundamental to accurate seismic hazard assessment. In the Mojave Desert section of the Eastern California Shear Zone previous studies have suggested a discrepancy between short-term geodetic and long-term geologic slip rate estimates. Understanding the origin of this discrepancy could lead to better understanding of stress evolution, and improve earthquake hazard estimates in general. We measured offsets in alluvial fans along the Calico fault near Newberry Springs, California, and used exposure age dating based on the cosmogenic nuclide 10Be to date the offset landforms. We derive a mean slip rate of 3.6 mm/yr, representing an average over the last few hundred thousand years, significantly faster than previous estimates. Considering numerous faults in the Mojave Desert and limited geologic slip rate estimates, it is premature to claim a geologic versus geodetic "discrepancy" for the ECSZ. More slip rate data, from all faults with the ECSZ, are needed to provide a statistically meaningful assessment of the geologic rates for each of the faults comprising the ECSZ.

basement reservoir geometry and properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, bastien; Geraud, yves; Diraison, marc

2017-04-01

Basement reservoirs are nowadays frequently investigated for deep-seated fluid resources (e.g. geothermal energy, groundwater, hydrocarbons). The term 'basement' generally refers to crystalline and metamorphic formations, where matrix porosity is negligible in fresh basement rocks. Geothermal production of such unconventional reservoirs is controlled by brittle structures and altered rock matrix, resulting of a combination of different tectonic, hydrothermal or weathering phenomena. This work aims to characterize the petro-structural and petrophysical properties of two basement surface analogue case studies in geological extensive setting (the Albert Lake rift in Uganda; the Ifni proximal margin of the South West Morocco Atlantic coast). Different datasets, using field structural study, geophysical acquisition and laboratory petrophysical measurements, were integrated to describe the multi-scale geometry of the porous network of such fractured and weathered basement formations. This study points out the multi-scale distribution of all the features constituting the reservoir, over ten orders of magnitude from the pluri-kilometric scale of the major tectonics structures to the infra-millimetric scale of the secondary micro-porosity of fractured and weathered basements units. Major fault zones, with relatively thick and impermeable fault core structures, control the 'compartmentalization' of the reservoir by dividing it into several structural blocks. The analysis of these fault zones highlights the necessity for the basement reservoirs to be characterized by a highly connected fault and fracture system, where structure intersections represent the main fluid drainage areas between and within the reservoir's structural blocks. The suitable fluid storage areas in these reservoirs correspond to the damage zone of all the fault structures developed during the tectonic evolution of the basement and the weathered units of the basement roof developed during pre-rift exhumation phases. Macroscopic fracture density is highly dependent on the petrographic nature of the basement, with values up to 80 frac./m in fault damage zones of crystalline rocks. Dense micro-cracks associated to major fault structures can develop porosity and permeability up to 10% and 0.1 D. In some weathered horizons, alteration can develop matrix porosity up to 40% and the permeability reaches up to 1D. This study highlights therefore that basement reservoir properties are the result of the long geodynamic evolution of such formations, and the different fault zone compartments or weathering horizons have to be considered separately for reservoir understanding.

Three-dimensional models of elastostatic deformation in heterogeneous media, with applications to the Eastern California Shear Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbot, Sylvain; Fialko, Yuri; Sandwell, David

2009-10-01

We present a semi-analytic iterative procedure for evaluating the 3-D deformation due to faults in an arbitrarily heterogeneous elastic half-space. Spatially variable elastic properties are modelled with equivalent body forces and equivalent surface traction in a `homogenized' elastic medium. The displacement field is obtained in the Fourier domain using a semi-analytic Green function. We apply this model to investigate the response of 3-D compliant zones (CZ) around major crustal faults to coseismic stressing by nearby earthquakes. We constrain the two elastic moduli, as well as the geometry of the fault zones by comparing the model predictions to Synthetic Aperture Radar inferferometric (InSAR) data. Our results confirm that the CZ models for the Rodman, Calico and Pinto Mountain faults in the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ) can explain the coseismic InSAR data from both the Landers and the Hector Mine earthquakes. For the Pinto Mountain fault zone, InSAR data suggest a 50 per cent reduction in effective shear modulus and no significant change in Poisson's ratio compared to the ambient crust. The large wavelength of coseismic line-of-sight displacements around the Pinto Mountain fault requires a fairly wide (~1.9 km) CZ extending to a depth of at least 9 km. Best fit for the Calico CZ, north of Galway Dry Lake, is obtained for a 4km deep structure, with a 60 per cent reduction in shear modulus, with no change in Poisson's ratio. We find that the required effective rigidity of the Calico fault zone south of Galway Dry Lake is not as low as that of the northern segment, suggesting along-strike variations of effective elastic moduli within the same fault zone. The ECSZ InSAR data is best explained by CZ models with reduction in both shear and bulk moduli. These observations suggest pervasive and widespread damage around active crustal faults.

Maine Pseudotachylyte Localities and the Role of Host Rock Anisotropy in Fault Zone Development and Frictional Melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, M. T.

2004-12-01

Three brittle strike-slip fault localities in coastal Maine have developed pseudotachylyte fault veins, injection veins and other reservoir structures in a variety of host rocks where the pre-existing layering can serve as a controlling fabric for brittle strike-slip reactivation. Host rocks with a poorly-oriented planar anisotropy at high angles to the shear direction will favor the development of R-shears in initial en echelon arrays as seen in the Two Lights and Richmond Island Fault Zones of Cape Elizabeth that cut gently-dipping phyllitic quartzites. These en echelon R-shears grow to through-going faults with the development of P-shear linkages across the dominantly contractional stepovers in the initial arrays. Pseudotachylyte on these faults is very localized, typically up to 1-2 mm in thickness and is restricted to through-going fault segments, P-shear linkages and some sidewall ripouts. Overall melt production is limited by the complex geometry of the multi-fault array. Host rocks with a favorably-oriented planar anisotropy for reactivation in brittle shear, however, preferentially develop a multitude of longer, non-coplanar layer-parallel fault segments. Pseudotachylyte in the newly-discovered Harbor Island Fault Zone in Muscongus Bay is developed within vertical bedding on regional upright folds with over 50 individual layer-parallel single-slip fault veins, some of which can be traced for over 40 meters along strike. Many faults show clear crosscuts of pre-existing quartz veins that indicate a range of coseismic displacements of 0.23-0.53 meters yielding fault vein widths of a few mm and dilatant reservoirs up to 2 cm thick. Both vertical and rare horizontal lateral injection veins can be found in the adjoining wall rock up to 0.7 cm thick and 80 cm in length. The structure of these faults is simple with minor development of splay faults, sidewall ripouts and strike-slip duplexes. The prominent vertical flow layering within the mylonite gneisses of Gerrish Island serves as host to the complex Fort Foster Brittle Zone where it localizes brittle fault slip and contributes to a maximum area of contact between the sliding surfaces which, in turn, yields fault vein thicknesses of 1-2 mm and locally up to 2 cm. The reactivation of this planar anisotropy in brittle shear produces long overlapping geometries that develop linking structures in both extensional and contractional stepovers may reflect the development of sidewall ripouts due to adhesive wear. The prominent development of closely-spaced individual single-slip fault veins suggests frictional welding as an effective strain hardening mechanism for repeated stick-slip.

Structural analysis of the Valence basin (SE France) based on kriging and borehole data: implications for hercynian fault zone behaviour in geothermic reservoirs.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chabani, Arezki; Mehl, Caroline; Bruel, Dominique; Cojan, Isabelle

2017-04-01

The Valence basin is a 130 km-long and 60 km-wide Tertiary sub-basin situated north to the SE basin of France, in the central part of the European Cenozoic RIft System (ECRIS). That structural key position in a naturally fractured hostrock associated with a favorable thermal regime make that basin a good target for geothermal exploitation in France. The structure and kinematics of the Valence basin is controlled by a several kilometer-scale hercynian fault system that may have a strong influence on fluid flows and thermal anomalies within the basin. This study aimed to constrain the geometry of deposits and the way they fracture regards to the major faults, to determine their diagenetic evolution and to characterize the hydraulic behavior of the major faults. We thus performed a structural model of the basin and analyzed the Montoison borehole. Kriging on data pointed on 348 boreholes from BSS, synthetic boreholes calculated from two seismic lines and isohypses from existing models allowed modeling the geometry of basement and the ceno-mesozoic unconformity. Basement is structured by two pluri-kilometer long fault corridors striking N/S to NE/SW. The central extends laterally on around 1 kilometer and has been identified as a segment of the Cevennes fault. The maximum depth of the basement is around 6000 m and is situated between the two corridors. Interpretations on seismic lines highlight a westward migration of Cenozoic depocenters within time. A structural analysis of the Montoison borehole confirms it is affected by a major fault interpreted as the Cevennes fault. Fault zone cuts across the Keuper and is characterized by an heterometric breccia within marly layers. The entire sedimentary pile recorded 2 sets of fractures: perpendicular and parallel to the borehole axis. Both sets are recrystallized. Nature of recrystallization (quartz, calcite and dolomite) strongly depends on the hostrock. An important thread of barite is located under the fault zone, putting forward the potential role of drain of that fault in the fluid flows across the basin.

New constraints on slip-rates, recurrence intervals, and strain partitioning beneath Pyramid Lake, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eisses, Amy

A high-resolution CHIRP seismic survey of Pyramid Lake, Nevada, located within the northern Walker Lane Deformation Belt, was conducted in summer 2010. Seismic CHIRP data with submeter vertical accuracy, together with piston and gravity cores, were used to calculate Holocene vertical slip rates, relative earthquake timing, and produce the first complete fault map beneath the lake. More than 500 line-kilometers of CHIRP data imaged complex fault patterns throughout the basin. Fault architecture beneath Pyramid Lake highlights a polarity flip, where down-to-the west patterns of sedimentation near the dextral Pyramid Lake fault to the south give way to down-to-the-east geometries tomore » the north within a mostly normal (i.e., Lake Range fault) and transtensional environment. The Lake Range fault predominantly controls extensional deformation within the northern two-thirds of the basin and exhibits varying degrees of asymmetric tilting and divergence due to along-strike segmentation. This observation is likely a combination of fault segments splaying onshore moving the focus of extension away from the lake coupled with some true along-strike differences in slip-rate. The combination of normal and oblique-slip faults in the northern basin gives Pyramid Lake its distinctive “fanning open to the north” tectonic geometry. The dense network of oblique-slip faults in the northwestern region of the lake, in contrast to the well-defined Lake Range fault, are short and discontinuous in nature, and possible represent a nascent shear zone. Preliminary vertical slip-rates measured across the Lake Range and other faults provide new estimates on the extension across the Pyramid Lake basin. A minimum vertical slip rate of ~1.0 mm/yr is estimated along the Lake Range fault, which yields a potential earthquake magnitude range between M6.4 and M7.0. A rapid influx of sediment was deposited shortly after the end of the Tioga glaciation somewhere between 12.5 ka to 9.5 ka and provides a punctuated short-term record of little to no slip on the Lake Range fault. In contrast, for the past 9,500 years, the basin has experienced a decrease in sedimentation rate, but an escalation in earthquake activity on the Lake Range fault, with the potential of 3 or 4 major earthquakes assuming a characteristic offset of 2.5 m per event. Regionally, our CHIRP investigation helps to reveal how strain is partitioned along the boundary between the eastern edge of the Walker Lane Deformation Belt and the northwest Great Basin proper.« less

Geometry and kinematics of the fold-thrust belt and structural evolution of the major Himalayan fault zones in the Darjeeling -- Sikkim Himalaya, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, Kathakali

The Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya lies in the eastern part of the Himalayan fold-thrust belt (FTB) in a zone of high arc-perpendicular convergence between the Indian and Eurasian plates. In this region two distinct faults form the Main Central thrust (MCT), the structurally higher MCT1 and the lower MCT2; both these faults have translated the Greater Himalayan hanging wall rocks farther towards the foreland than in the western Himalaya. The width of the sub-MCT Lesser Himalayan rocks progressively decreases from the western Himalaya to this part of the eastern Himalaya, and as a result, the width of the FTB is narrower in this region compared to the western Himalaya. Our structural analysis shows that in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya the sub-MCT Lesser Himalayan duplex is composed of two duplex systems and has a more complex geometry than in the rest of the Himalayan fold-thrust belt. The structurally higher Dating duplex is a hinterland-dipping duplex; the structurally lower Rangit duplex varies in geometry from a hinterland-dipping duplex in the north to an antiformal stack in the middle and a foreland-dipping duplex in the south. The MCT2 is the roof thrust of the Daling duplex and the Ramgarh thrust is the roof thrust of the Rangit duplex. In this region, the Ramgarh thrust has a complex structural history with continued reactivation during footwall imbrication. The foreland-dipping component of the Rangit duplex, along with the large displacement associated with the reactivation of the Ramgarh thrust accounts for the large translation of the MCT sheets in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya. The growth of the Lesser Himalayan duplex modified the final geometry of the overlying MCT sheets, resulting in a plunge culmination that manifests itself as a broad N-S trending "anticline" in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya. This is not a "river anticline" as its trace lies west of the Teesta river. A transport parallel balanced cross section across this region has accommodated a total minimum shortening of ˜502 km (˜82%) south of the South Tibetan Detachment system (STDS). Based on this shortening, the average long-term shortening rate is estimated to be ˜22mm/yr in this region. The available shortening estimates from different parts of the Himalayan arc show significant variations in shortening, but based on the present available data, it is difficult to evaluate the primary cause for this variation. The shortening in the Himalayan fold-thrust belt (FTB) is highest in the middle of the Himalayan arc (western Nepal) and progressively decreases towards the two syntaxes. Although the width of the Lesser Himalayan belt decreases in the eastern Himalaya, the Lesser Himalayan shortening percentage remains approximately similar to that in the Nepal Himalaya. In addition, the shortening accommodated within the Lesser Himalayan duplex progressively increases from the western to the eastern Himalaya where it accommodates nearly half of the total shortening. The regional restorations suggest that the width of the original Lesser Himalayan basin may have played an important role in partitioning the shortening in the Himalayan FTB. In addition, the retrodeformed cross section in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya provides insights into the palinspastic reconstruction of the Gondwana basin of Peninsular India, suggesting that this basin extended ˜150 km northward of its present northernmost exposure in this region. The balanced cross section suggests that each of the MCT sheets has undergone translation of ≥100km in this region. Although a regional scale flat-on-flat relationship is seen in the MCT sheets, there is a significant variation in overburden from the trailing portion to the leading edge of the MCT due to the geometry of the tapered crystalline orogenic wedge. Microstructural studies from three segments of the MCT2 fault zone suggest that the MCT2 zone has undergone strain softening by different mechanisms along different portions of its transport-parallel length, mainly as a result of changing overburden conditions. This regional strain softening provides a suitable explanation for the large translation of ≥100 km along a relatively thin MCT2 fault zone in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya.

Estimation of Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) for Peninsular Malaysia using geospatial approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nouri Manafizad, Amir; Pradhan, Biswajeet; Abdullahi, Saleh

2016-06-01

Among the various types of natural disasters, earthquake is considered as one of the most destructive events which impose a great amount of human fatalities and economic losses. Visualization of earthquake events and estimation of peak ground motions provides a strong tool for scientists and authorities to predict and mitigate the aftereffects of earthquakes. In addition it is useful for some businesses like insurance companies to evaluate the amount of investing risk. Although Peninsular Malaysian is situated in the stable part of Sunda plate, it is seismically influenced by very active earthquake sources of Sumatra's fault and subduction zones. This study modelled the seismic zones and estimates maximum credible earthquake (MCE) based on classified data for period 1900 to 2014. The deterministic approach was implemented for the analysis. Attenuation equations were used for two zones. Results show that, the PGA produced from subduction zone is from 2-64 (gal) and from the fault zone varies from 1-191(gal). In addition, the PGA generated from fault zone is more critical than subduction zone for selected seismic model.

Response of deformation patterns to reorganization of the southern San Andreas fault system since ca. 1.5 Ma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fattaruso, Laura A.; Cooke, Michele L.; Dorsey, Rebecca J.; Housen, Bernard A.

2016-12-01

Between 1.5 and 1.1 Ma, the southern San Andreas fault system underwent a major reorganization that included initiation of the San Jacinto fault zone and termination of slip on the extensional West Salton detachment fault. The southern San Andreas fault itself has also evolved since this time, with several shifts in activity among fault strands within San Gorgonio Pass. We use three-dimensional mechanical Boundary Element Method models to investigate the impact of these changes to the fault network on deformation patterns. A series of snapshot models of the succession of active fault geometries explore the role of fault interaction and tectonic loading in abandonment of the West Salton detachment fault, initiation of the San Jacinto fault zone, and shifts in activity of the San Andreas fault. Interpreted changes to uplift patterns are well matched by model results. These results support the idea that initiation and growth of the San Jacinto fault zone led to increased uplift rates in the San Gabriel Mountains and decreased uplift rates in the San Bernardino Mountains. Comparison of model results for vertical-axis rotation to data from paleomagnetic studies reveals a good match to local rotation patterns in the Mecca Hills and Borrego Badlands. We explore the mechanical efficiency at each step in the modeled fault evolution, and find an overall trend toward increased efficiency through time. Strain energy density patterns are used to identify regions of incipient faulting, and support the notion of north-to-south propagation of the San Jacinto fault during its initiation.

Fine-scale delineation of the location of and relative ground shaking within the San Andreas Fault zone at San Andreas Lake, San Mateo County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Catchings, R.D.; Rymer, M.J.; Goldman, M.R.; Prentice, C.S.; Sickler, R.R.

2013-01-01

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is seismically retrofitting the water delivery system at San Andreas Lake, San Mateo County, California, where the reservoir intake system crosses the San Andreas Fault (SAF). The near-surface fault location and geometry are important considerations in the retrofit effort. Because the SAF trends through highly distorted Franciscan mélange and beneath much of the reservoir, the exact trace of the 1906 surface rupture is difficult to determine from surface mapping at San Andreas Lake. Based on surface mapping, it also is unclear if there are additional fault splays that extend northeast or southwest of the main surface rupture. To better understand the fault structure at San Andreas Lake, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired a series of seismic imaging profiles across the SAF at San Andreas Lake in 2008, 2009, and 2011, when the lake level was near historical lows and the surface traces of the SAF were exposed for the first time in decades. We used multiple seismic methods to locate the main 1906 rupture zone and fault splays within about 100 meters northeast of the main rupture zone. Our seismic observations are internally consistent, and our seismic indicators of faulting generally correlate with fault locations inferred from surface mapping. We also tested the accuracy of our seismic methods by comparing our seismically located faults with surface ruptures mapped by Schussler (1906) immediately after the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake of approximate magnitude 7.9; our seismically determined fault locations were highly accurate. Near the reservoir intake facility at San Andreas Lake, our seismic data indicate the main 1906 surface rupture zone consists of at least three near-surface fault traces. Movement on multiple fault traces can have appreciable engineering significance because, unlike movement on a single strike-slip fault trace, differential movement on multiple fault traces may exert compressive and extensional stresses on built structures within the fault zone. Such differential movement and resulting distortion of built structures appear to have occurred between fault traces at the gatewell near the southern end of San Andreas Lake during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (Schussler, 1906). In addition to the three fault traces within the main 1906 surface rupture zone, our data indicate at least one additional fault trace (or zone) about 80 meters northeast of the main 1906 surface rupture zone. Because ground shaking also can damage structures, we used fault-zone guided waves to investigate ground shaking within the fault zones relative to ground shaking outside the fault zones. Peak ground velocity (PGV) measurements from our guided-wave study indicate that ground shaking is greater at each of the surface fault traces, varying with the frequency of the seismic data and the wave type (P versus S). S-wave PGV increases by as much as 5–6 times at the fault traces relative to areas outside the fault zone, and P-wave PGV increases by as much as 3–10 times. Assuming shaking increases linearly with increasing earthquake magnitude, these data suggest strong shaking may pose a significant hazard to built structures that extend across the fault traces. Similarly complex fault structures likely underlie other strike-slip faults (such as the Hayward, Calaveras, and Silver Creek Faults) that intersect structures of the water delivery system, and these fault structures similarly should be investigated.

Gravity anomaly and density structure of the San Andreas fault zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chi-Yuen; Rui, Feng; Zhengsheng, Yao; Xingjue, Shi

1986-01-01

A densely spaced gravity survey across the San andreas fault zone was conducted near Bear Valley, about 180 km south of San Francisco, along a cross-section where a detailed seismic reflection profile was previously made by McEvilly (1981). With Feng and McEvilly's velocity structure (1983) of the fault zone at this cross-section as a constraint, the density structure of the fault zone is obtained through inversion of the gravity data by a method used by Parker (1973) and Oldenburg (1974). Although the resulting density picture cannot be unique, it is better constrained and contains more detailed information about the structure of the fault than was previously possible. The most striking feature of the resulting density structure is a deeply seated tongue of low-density material within the fault zone, probably representing a wedge of fault gouge between the two moving plates, which projects from the surface to the base of the seismogenic zone. From reasonable assumptions concerning the density of the solid grains and the state of saturation of the fault zone the average porosity of this low-density fault gouge is estimated as about 12%. Stress-induced cracks are not expected to create so much porosity under the pressures in the deep fault zone. Large-scaled removal of fault-zone material by hydrothermal alteration, dissolution, and subsequent fluid transport may have occurred to produce this pronounced density deficiency. In addition, a broad, funnel-shaped belt of low density appears about the upper part of the fault zone, which probably represents a belt of extensively shattered wall rocks.

Neotectonics of interior Alaska and the late Quaternary slip rate along the Denali fault system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haeussler, Peter J.; Matmon, Ari; Schwartz, David P.; Seitz, Gordon G.

2017-01-01

The neotectonics of southern Alaska (USA) are characterized by a several hundred kilometers–wide zone of dextral transpressional that spans the Alaska Range. The Denali fault system is the largest active strike-slip fault system in interior Alaska, and it produced a Mw 7.9 earthquake in 2002. To evaluate the late Quaternary slip rate on the Denali fault system, we collected samples for cosmogenic surface exposure dating from surfaces offset by the fault system. This study includes data from 107 samples at 19 sites, including 7 sites we previously reported, as well as an estimated slip rate at another site. We utilize the interpreted surface ages to provide estimated slip rates. These new slip rate data confirm that the highest late Quaternary slip rate is ∼13 mm/yr on the central Denali fault near its intersection with the eastern Denali and the Totschunda faults, with decreasing slip rate both to the east and west. The slip rate decreases westward along the central and western parts of the Denali fault system to 5 mm/yr over a length of ∼575 km. An additional site on the eastern Denali fault near Kluane Lake, Yukon, implies a slip rate of ∼2 mm/yr, based on geological considerations. The Totschunda fault has a maximum slip rate of ∼9 mm/yr. The Denali fault system is transpressional and there are active thrust faults on both the north and south sides of it. We explore four geometric models for southern Alaska tectonics to explain the slip rates along the Denali fault system and the active fault geometries: rotation, indentation, extrusion, and a combination of the three. We conclude that all three end-member models have strengths and shortcomings, and a combination of rotation, indentation, and extrusion best explains the slip rate observations.

Seismicity of the St. Lawrence paleorift faults overprinted by a meteorite impact crater: Implications for crustal strength based on new earthquake relocations in the Charlevoix Seismic Zone, Eastern Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, H.; Harrington, R. M.; Liu, Y.; Lamontagne, M.; Pang, M.

2015-12-01

The Charlevoix Seismic Zone (CSZ), located along the St. Lawrence River (SLR) ~100 km downstream from Quebec City, is the most active seismic zone in eastern Canada with five historic earthquakes of M 6-7 and ~ 200 events/year reported by the Canadian National Seismograph Network. Cataloged earthquake epicenters outline two broad linear zones along the SLR with little shallow seismicity in between. Earthquakes form diffuse clusters between major dipping faults rather than concentrating on fault planes. Detailed fault geometry in the CSZ is uncertain and the effect on local seismicity of a meteorite impact structure that overprints the paleorift faults remains ambiguous. Here we relocate 1639 earthquakes occurring in the CSZ between 01/1988 - 10/2010 using the double-difference relocation method HypoDD and waveforms primarily from 7 local permanent stations. We use the layered SLR north shore velocity model from Lamontagne (1999), and travel time differences based on both catalog and cross-correlated P and S-phase picks. Of the 1639 relocated earthquakes, 1236 (75.4%) satisfied selection criteria of horizontal and vertical errors less than 2 km and 1 km respectively. Cross-sections of relocated seismicity show hypocenters along distinct active fault segments. Earthquakes located beneath the north shore of the SLR are likely correlated with the NW Gouffre fault, forming a ~10 km wide seismic zone parallel to the river, with dip angle changing to near vertical at the northern edge of the impact zone. In contrast, seismicity beneath the SLR forms a diffuse cloud within the impact structure, likely representing a highly fractured volume. It further implies that faults could be locally weak and subject to high pore-fluid pressures. Seismicity outside the impact structure defines linear structures aligning with the Charlevoix fault. Relocated events of M > 4 all locate outside the impact structure, indicating they nucleated on the NE-SW-oriented paleorift faults.

How much does geometry of seismic sources matter in tsunami modeling? A sensitivity analysis for the Calabrian subduction interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonini, R.; Maesano, F. E.; Tiberti, M. M.; Romano, F.; Scala, A.; Lorito, S.; Volpe, M.; Basili, R.

2017-12-01

The geometry of seismogenic sources could be one of the most important factors concurring to control the generation and the propagation of earthquake-generated tsunamis and their effects on the coasts. Since the majority of potentially tsunamigenic earthquakes occur offshore, the corresponding faults are generally poorly constrained and, consequently, their geometry is often oversimplified as a planar fault. The rupture area of mega-thrust earthquakes in subduction zones, where most of the greatest tsunamis have occurred, extends for tens to hundreds of kilometers both down dip and along strike, and generally deviates from the planar geometry. Therefore, the larger the earthquake size is, the weaker the planar fault assumption become. In this work, we present a sensitivity analysis aimed to explore the effects on modeled tsunamis generated by seismic sources with different degrees of geometric complexities. We focused on the Calabrian subduction zone, located in the Mediterranean Sea, which is characterized by the convergence between the African and European plates, with rates of up to 5 mm/yr. This subduction zone has been considered to have generated some past large earthquakes and tsunamis, despite it shows only in-slab significant seismic activity below 40 km depth and no relevant seismicity in the shallower portion of the interface. Our analysis is performed by defining and modeling an exhaustive set of tsunami scenarios located in the Calabrian subduction and using different models of the subduction interface with increasing geometrical complexity, from a planar surface to a highly detailed 3D surface. The latter was obtained from the interpretation of a dense network of seismic reflection profiles coupled with the analysis of the seismicity distribution. The more relevant effects due to the inclusion of 3D complexities in the seismic source geometry are finally highlighted in terms of the resulting tsunami impact.

Tectonic Constraints on the Evolution of Geothermal Systems in the Central Andean Volcanic Zone (CAVZ)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veloso, E. E.; Tardani, D.; Aron, F.; Elizalde, J. D.; Sanchez-Alfaro, P.; Godoy, B.

2017-12-01

South of 19°S, geothermal fields and Pliocene-to-Holocene volcanic centers of the Central Andean Volcanic Zone are spatially associated with distinct, large-scale fault systems disrupting the volcanic arc, which control the architecture and dynamics of the fluids reservoirs at shallow crustal levels. Based on an extensive compilation of structural, lithological and isotopic data, and satellite imagery band-ratio analyses, we produced detailed maps of 13 areas comprising 19 identified and/or potential geothermal fields, to examine if particular local-scale tectonic configurations are associated to fluids migrating from different crustal levels. We defined three main tectonic environments according to the specific, kilometer-scale structural arrangement and its spatial relation to the geothermal surface manifestations. T1, dominated by left-lateral, pure strike-slip motion on a NW-trending duplex-like geometry with geothermal fields located along the faults - in turn distributed into five major subparallel zones cutting across the orogenic belt between ca. 20° and 27°S. T2, dominated by shortening on a series of N-trending thrust faults and fault-propagated folds, cut and displaced by the above mentioned NW-trending faults, with geothermal fields hosted at fault intersections and at fold hinges. And T3, characterized by transtension accommodated by NW-to-WNW-trending left-lateral/normal faults, with hot-springs lying along the fault traces. Interestingly, each of the independently defined tectonic environments has distinctive helium (in fluids) and strontium (in lavas) isotopic signatures and estimated geothermal reservoir temperatures. T1 shows a large 4He contribution, low 87Sr/86Sr ratio and temperatures varying between ca. 220°-310°C; T3 low 4He and high 87Sr/86Sr ratio and temperature (260°-320°C); T2 isotopic values fall between T1 and T3, yet showing the lowest (130°-250°C) temperatures. We suggest that these particular isotopic signatures are due to a strong structural control on the hot reservoir location and meteoric water content, T3 allowing deeper hot fluid provenances and T1 more meteoric influx.

Distribution of Subsurface Flexure zone caused by Uemachi Fault, Japan and its activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitada, N.; Inoue, N.; Takemura, K.; Ito, H.; Mitamura, M.

2012-12-01

In Osaka, Uemachi Fault is one of the famous active faults. It across the center of Osaka and lies in N-S direction mainly and is more than 40 km in length. The faults bound sedimentary basins, where thick sedimentary deposits of the Pliocene-Quaternary Osaka Group have accumulated. The deposits consist primarily of sand and marine and non-marine clay, and the clay layers are key markers for the interpretation of glacial and interglacial cycles. In this study, we estimate the width of the flexure zone using a geotechnical borehole database. GI database collects more than 40,000 boreholes and includes both geological information and soil properties around Osaka by the Geo-database Information Committee of Kansai Area. Our results indicate that the deformation associated with the flexure zone is distributed primarily along the splay fault (NE-SW) and not along the main fault, suggesting that the splay fault might be the primary fault at present. We first examined the borehole data along the seismic reflection line and then considered the surrounding area. An Upper Pleistocene marine clay (Ma12) is a good indicator of the flexure zone. We constructed many cross sections in and around the fault zone and classified the deformation form into three categories around the flexure zone. The results of this study allowed us to map the distribution of folding in a zone in the west of the Osaka area. Folding can be classified into three types: (1) Ma12 folding, (2) Ma12 folding that does not continue toward the hanging wall, and (3) folding or displacement of old marine clay. These folding zone trends are N-W strike however these trace are serpentine. These folding zone information are not in worth to estimate the source fault, however these zone will be more serious damaged when the earthquake occurred. Our result agrees well with the average displacement speed of about 0.4 m/ka that was derived by the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Strain heating in process zones; implications for metamorphism and partial melting in the lithosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devès, Maud H.; Tait, Stephen R.; King, Geoffrey C. P.; Grandin, Raphaël

2014-05-01

Since the late 1970s, most earth scientists have discounted the plausibility of melting by shear-strain heating because temperature-dependent creep rheology leads to negative feedback and self-regulation. This paper presents a new model of distributed shear-strain heating that can account for the genesis of large volumes of magmas in both the crust and the mantle of the lithosphere. The kinematic (geometry and rates) frustration associated with incompatible fault junctions (e.g. triple-junction) prevents localisation of all strain on the major faults. Instead, deformation distributes off the main faults forming a large process zone that deforms still at high rates under both brittle and ductile conditions. The increased size of the shear-heated region minimises conductive heat loss, compared with that commonly associated with narrow shear zones, thus promoting strong heating and melting under reasonable rheological assumptions. Given the large volume of the heated zone, large volumes of melt can be generated even at small melt fractions.

Deformation across the Pacific-North America plate boundary near San Francisco, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prescott, W.H.; Savage, J.C.; Svarc, J.L.; Manaker, D.

2001-01-01

We have detected a narrow zone of compression between the Coast Ranges and the Great Valley, and we have estimated slip rates for the San Andreas, Rodgers Creek, and Green Valley faults just north of San Francisco. These results are based on an analysis of campaign and continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) data collected between 1992 and 2000 in central California. The zone of compression between the Coast Ranges and the Great Valley is 25 km wide. The observations clearly show 3.8??1.5 mm yr-1 of shortening over this narrow zone. The strike slip components are best fit by a model with 20.8??1.9 mm yr-1 slip on the San Andreas fault, 10.3??2.6 mm yr-1 on the Rodgers Creek fault, and 8.1??2.1 mm yr-1 on the Green Valley fault. The Pacific-Sierra Nevada-Great Valley motion totals 39.2??3.8 mm yr-1 across a zone that is 120 km wide (at the latitude of San Francisco). Standard deviations are one ??. The geodetic results suggest a higher than geologic rate for the Green Valley fault. The geodetic results also suggest an inconsistency between geologic estimates of the San Andreas rate and seismologic estimates of the depth of locking on the San Andreas fault. The only convergence observed is in the narrow zone along the border between the Great Valley and the Coast Ranges.

Magnitude and Surface Rupture Length of Prehistoric Upper Crustal Earthquakes in the Puget Lowland, Washington State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherrod, B. L.; Styron, R. H.

2016-12-01

Paleoseismic studies documented prehistoric earthquakes after the last glaciation ended 15 ka on 13 upper-crustal fault zones in the Cascadia fore arc. These fault zones are a consequence of north-directed fore arc block migration manifesting as a series of bedrock uplifts and intervening structural basins in the southern Salish Sea lowland between Vancouver, B.C. to the north and Olympia, WA to the south, and bounded on the east and west by the Cascade Mountains and Olympic Mountains, respectively. Our dataset uses published information and includes 27 earthquakes tabulated from observations of postglacial deformation at 63 sites. Stratigraphic offsets along faults consist of two types of measurements: 1) vertical separation of strata along faults observed in fault scarp excavations, and 2) estimates from coastal uplift and subsidence. We used probabilistic methods to estimate past rupture magnitudes and surface rupture length (SRL), applying empirical observations from modern earthquakes and point measurements from paleoseismic sites (Biasi and Weldon, 2006). Estimates of paleoearthquake magnitude ranged between M 6.5 and M 7.5. SRL estimates varied between 20 and 90 km. Paleoearthquakes on the Seattle fault zone and Saddle Mountain West fault about 1100 years ago were outliers in our analysis. Large offsets observed for these two earthquakes implies a M 7.8 and 200 km SRL, given the average observed ratio of slip/SRL in modern earthquakes. The actual mapped traces of these faults are less than 200km, implying these earthquakes had an unusually high static stress drop or, in the case of the Seattle fault, splay faults may have accentuated uplift in the hanging wall. Refined calculations incorporating fault area may change these magnitude and SRL estimates. Biasi, G.P., and Weldon, R.J., 2006, Estimating Surface Rupture Length and Magnitude of Paleoearthquakes from Point Measurements of Rupture Displacement: B. Seismol. Soc. Am., 96, 1612-1623.

Thermal state of the Explorer segment of the Cascadia subduction zone: Implications for seismic and tsunami hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Dawei; Wang, Kelin; Davis, Earl E.; Jiang, Yan; Insua, Tania L.; He, Jiangheng

2017-04-01

The Explorer segment of northernmost Cascadia is an end-member "warm" subduction zone with very young incoming plate and slow-convergence rate. Understanding the megathrust earthquake potential of this type of subduction zone is of both geodynamic and societal importance. Available geodetic observations indicate that the subduction megathrust of the Explorer segment is currently locked to some degree, but the downdip extent of the fault area that is potentially seismogenic is not known. Here we construct finite-element models to estimate the thermally allowed megathrust seismogenic zone, using available knowledge of regional plate kinematics, structural data, and heat flow observations as constraints. Despite ambiguities in plate interface geometry constrained by hypocenter locations of low-frequency earthquakes beneath Vancouver Island, the thermal models suggest a potential rupture zone of ˜60 km downdip width located fully offshore. Using dislocation modeling, we further illustrate that a rupture zone of this size, even with a conservative assumption of ˜100 km strike length, can cause significant tsunami-genic deformation. Future seismic and tsunami hazard assessment in northern Cascadia must take the Explorer segment into account.

Evidence of Enhanced Subrosion in a Fault Zone and Characterization of Hazard Zones with Elastic Parameters derived from SH-wave reflection Seismics and VSP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadas, S. H.; Tanner, D. C.; Tschache, S.; Polom, U.; Krawczyk, C. M.

2017-12-01

Subrosion, the dissolution of soluble rocks, e.g., sulfate, salt, or carbonate, requires unsaturated water and fluid pathways that enable the water to flow through the subsurface and generate cavities. Over time, different structures can occur that depend on, e.g., rock solubility, flow rate, and overburden type. The two main structures are sinkholes and depressions. To analyze the link between faults, groundwater flow, and soluble rocks, and to determine parameters that are useful to characterize hazard zones, several shear-wave (SH) reflection seismic profiles were surveyed in Thuringia in Germany, where Permian sulfate rocks and salt subcrop close to the surface. From the analysis of the seismic sections we conclude that areas affected by tectonic deformation phases are prone to enhanced subrosion. The deformation of fault blocks leads to the generation of a damage zone with a dense fracture network. This increases the rock permeability and thus serves as a fluid pathway for, e.g., artesian-confined groundwater. The more complex the fault geometry and the more interaction between faults, the more fractures are generated, e.g., in a strike slip-fault zone. The faults also act as barriers for horizontal groundwater flow perpendicular to the fault surfaces and as conduits for groundwater flow along the fault strike. In addition, seismic velocity anomalies and attenuation of seismic waves are observed. Low velocities <200 m/s and high attenuation may indicate areas affected by subrosion. Other parameters that characterize the underground stability are the shear modulus and the Vp/Vs ratio. The data revealed zones of low shear modulus <100 MPa and high Vp/Vs ratio >2.5, which probably indicate unstable areas due to subrosion. Structural analysis of S-wave seismics is a valuable tool to detect near-surface faults in order to determine whether or not an area is prone to subrosion. The recognition of even small fault blocks can help to better understand the hydrodynamic groundwater conditions, which is another key factor to understand the subrosion process. The elastic parameters derived from seismic velocities can help to identify possible zones of instability.

Fault Slip Partitioning in the Eastern California Shear Zone-Walker Lane Belt: Pliocene to Late Pleistocene Contraction Across the Mina Deflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Stockli, D.; Gosse, J.

2007-12-01

Two different mechanisms have been proposed for fault slip transfer between the subparallel NW-striking dextral- slip faults that dominant the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ)-Walker Lane Belt (WLB). In the northern WLB, domains of sinistral-slip along NE-striking faults and clockwise block rotation within a zone of distributed deformation accommodated NW-dextral shear. A somewhat modified version of this mechanism was also proposed for the Mina deflection, southern WLB, whereby NE-striking sinistral faults formed as conjugate faults to the primary zone of NW-dextral shear; clockwise rotation of the blocks bounding the sinistral faults accommodated dextral slip. In contrast, in the northern ECSZ and Mina deflection, domains of NE-striking pure dip-slip normal faults, bounded by NW-striking dextral-slip faults, exhibited no rotation; the proposed mechanism of slip transfer was one of right-stepping, high angle normal faults in which the magnitude of extension was proportional to the amount of strike-slip motion transferred. New geologic mapping, tectonic geomorphologic, and geochronologic data from the Queen Valley area, southern Mina deflection constrain Pliocene to late Quaternary fault geometries, slip orientations, slip magnitudes, and slip rates that bear on the mechanism of fault slip transfer from the relatively narrow northern ECSZ to the broad deformation zone that defines the Mina deflection. Four different fault types and orientations cut across the Queen Valley area: (1) The NE-striking normal-slip Queen Valley fault; (2) NE-striking sinistral faults; (3) the NW-striking dextral Coyote Springs fault, which merges into (4) a set of EW-striking thrust faults. (U-Th)/He apatite and cosmogenic radionuclide data, combined with magnitude of fault offset measurements, indicate a Pliocene to late Pleistocene horizontal extension rate of 0.2-0.3 mm/yr across the Queen Valley fault. Our results, combined with published slip rates for the dextral White Mountain fault zone (0.3-0.8 mm/yr) and the eastern sinistral Coaldale fault (0.4 mm/yr) suggest that transfer of dextral slip from the narrow White Mountains fault zone is explained best by a simple shear couple whereby slip is partitioned into three different components: horizontal extension along the Queen Valley fault, dominantly dextral slip along the Coyote Springs fault, and dominantly sinistral slip along the Coaldale fault. A velocity vector diagram illustrating fault slip partitioning predicts contraction rates of <0.1 to 0.5 mm/yr across the Coyote Springs and western Coaldale faults. The predicted long-term contraction across the Mina deflection is consistent with present-day GPS data.

Spatial heterogeneity of stress and driving fluid pressure ratio inferred from mineral vein orientation along seismogenic megasplay fault (Nobeoka Thrust, Japan)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otsubo, M.; Miyakawa, A.; Kawasaki, R.; Sato, K.; Yamaguchi, A.; Kimura, G.

2015-12-01

Fault zones including the damage zone and the fault core have a controlling influence on the crust's mechanical and fluid flow properties (e.g., Faulkner et al., 2010). In the Nankai subduction zone, southwest Japan, the velocity structures indicate the contrast of the pore fluid pressure between hanging wall and footwall of the megasplay fault (Tsuji et al., 2014). Nobeoka Thrust, which is an on-land example of an ancient megasplay fault, provides an excellent record of deformation and fluid flow at seismogenic depths (Kondo et al., 2005; Yamaguchi et al., 2011). Yamaguchi et al. (2011) showed that the microchemical features of syn-tectonic mineral veins along fault zones of the Nobeoka Thrust. The inversion approaches by using the mineral vein orientations can provide stress regimes and fluid driving pressure ratio (Jolly and Sanderson, 1997) at the time of fracture opening (e.g., Yamaji et al., 2010). In this study, we show (1) stress regimes in co- and post seismic period of the Nobeoka Thrust and (2) spatial heterogeneity of the fluid driving pressure ratio by using the mineral veins (extension veins) around the fault zone in the Nobeoka Thrust. We applied the inversion approach proposed by Sato et al. (2013) to estimate stress regimes by using the mineral vein orientations. The estimated stresses are the normal faulting stress regimes of which sigma 3 axes are almost horizontal and trend NNW-SSE in both the hanging wall and the footwall. The stress regimes are the negative stress for the reverse faulting stress regime that Kawasaki et al. (2014) estimated from the minor faults in the core samples of the Nobeoka Thrust Drilling Project (Hamahashi et al., 2013). And, the orientation of the sigma 3 axes of the estimated stress regime is parallel to the slip direction of the Nobeoka Thrust (Top to SSE; Kondo et al., 2005). These facts indicate the normal faulting stress regime at the time of fracture opening is the secondary stress generated by the slip of the Nobeoka Thrust. We estimated the fluid driving pressure ratio P* at the time of fracture opening by using the Mohr circle analysis that has been carried out using the vein orientation data. The estimated P* are 0.05 and 0.15-0.40 in the hanging wall and footwall, respectively. These results indicate that there are spatial differences of pore fluid pressure in the interseismic period.

Active Deformation of Malawi Rift's North Basin Hinge Zone Modulated by Reactivation of Preexisting Precambrian Shear Zone Fabric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolawole, F.; Atekwana, E. A.; Laó-Dávila, D. A.; Abdelsalam, M. G.; Chindandali, P. R.; Salima, J.; Kalindekafe, L.

2018-03-01

We integrated temporal aeromagnetic data and recent earthquake data to address the long-standing question on the role of preexisting Precambrian structures in modulating strain accommodation and subsequent ruptures leading to seismic events within the East African Rift System. We used aeromagnetic data to elucidate the relationship between the locations of the 2009 Mw 6.0 Karonga, Malawi, earthquake surface ruptures and buried basement faults along the hinge zone of the half-graben comprising the North Basin of the Malawi Rift. Through the application of derivative filters and depth-to-magnetic-source modeling, we identified and constrained the trend of the Precambrian metamorphic fabrics and correlated them to the three-dimensional structure of buried basement faults. Our results reveal an unprecedented detail of the basement fabric dominated by high-frequency WNW to NW trending magnetic lineaments associated with the Precambrian Mughese Shear Zone fabric. The high-frequency magnetic lineaments are superimposed by lower frequency NNW trending magnetic lineaments associated with possible Cenozoic faults. Surface ruptures associated with the 2009 Mw 6.0 Karonga earthquake swarm aligned with one of the NNW-trending magnetic lineaments defining a normal fault that is characterized by right-stepping segments along its northern half and coalesced segments on its southern half. Fault geometries, regional kinematics, and spatial distribution of seismicity suggest that seismogenic faults reactivated the basement fabric found along the half-graben hinge zone. We suggest that focusing of strain accommodation and seismicity along the half-graben hinge zone is facilitated and modulated by the presence of the basement fabric.

Numerical models of pore pressure and stress changes along basement faults due to wastewater injection: Applications to the 2014 Milan, Kansas Earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hearn, Elizabeth H.; Koltermann, Christine; Rubinstein, Justin R.

2018-01-01

We have developed groundwater flow models to explore the possible relationship between wastewater injection and the 12 November 2014 Mw 4.8 Milan, Kansas earthquake. We calculate pore pressure increases in the uppermost crust using a suite of models in which hydraulic properties of the Arbuckle Formation and the Milan earthquake fault zone, the Milan earthquake hypocenter depth, and fault zone geometry are varied. Given pre‐earthquake injection volumes and reasonable hydrogeologic properties, significantly increasing pore pressure at the Milan hypocenter requires that most flow occur through a conductive channel (i.e., the lower Arbuckle and the fault zone) rather than a conductive 3‐D volume. For a range of reasonable lower Arbuckle and fault zone hydraulic parameters, the modeled pore pressure increase at the Milan hypocenter exceeds a minimum triggering threshold of 0.01 MPa at the time of the earthquake. Critical factors include injection into the base of the Arbuckle Formation and proximity of the injection point to a narrow fault damage zone or conductive fracture in the pre‐Cambrian basement with a hydraulic diffusivity of about 3–30 m2/s. The maximum pore pressure increase we obtain at the Milan hypocenter before the earthquake is 0.06 MPa. This suggests that the Milan earthquake occurred on a fault segment that was critically stressed prior to significant wastewater injection in the area. Given continued wastewater injection into the upper Arbuckle in the Milan region, assessment of the middle Arbuckle as a hydraulic barrier remains an important research priority.

Precise relative locations for earthquakes in the northeast Pacific region

DOE PAGES

Cleveland, K. Michael; VanDeMark, Thomas F.; Ammon, Charles J.

2015-10-09

We report that double-difference methods applied to cross-correlation measured Rayleigh wave time shifts are an effective tool to improve epicentroid locations and relative origin time shifts in remote regions. We apply these methods to seismicity offshore of southwestern Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, occurring along the boundaries of the Pacific and Juan de Fuca (including the Explorer Plate and Gorda Block) Plates. The Blanco, Mendocino, Revere-Dellwood, Nootka, and Sovanco fracture zones host the majority of this seismicity, largely consisting of strike-slip earthquakes. The Explorer, Juan de Fuca, and Gorda spreading ridges join these fracture zones and host normal faultingmore » earthquakes. Our results show that at least the moderate-magnitude activity clusters along fault strike, supporting suggestions of large variations in seismic coupling along oceanic transform faults. Our improved relative locations corroborate earlier interpretations of the internal deformation in the Explorer and Gorda Plates. North of the Explorer Plate, improved locations support models that propose northern extension of the Revere-Dellwood fault. Relocations also support interpretations that favor multiple parallel active faults along the Blanco Transform Fault Zone. Seismicity of the western half of the Blanco appears more scattered and less collinear than the eastern half, possibly related to fault maturity. We use azimuthal variations in the Rayleigh wave cross-correlation amplitude to detect and model rupture directivity for a moderate size earthquake along the eastern Blanco Fault. Lastly, the observations constrain the seismogenic zone geometry and suggest a relatively narrow seismogenic zone width of 2 to 4 km.« less

Consequences of the presence of a weak fault on the stress and strain within an active margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conin, M.; Henry, P.; Godard, V.; Bourlange, S.

2009-12-01

Accreting margins often display an outer thrust and fold belt and an inner forearc domain overlying the subduction plate. Assuming that this overlying material behaves as Coulomb material, the outer wedge and the inner wedge are classically approximated as a critical state and a stable state Coulomb wedge, respectively. Critical Coulomb wedge theory can account for the transition from wedge to forearc. However, it cannot be used to determine the state of stress in the transition zone, nor the consequences of a discontinuity within the margin. The presence of a discontinuity such as a splay fault having a low effective friction coefficient should affect the stress state within the wedge, at least locally around the splay fault. Moreover, the effective friction coefficient of the seismogenic zone is expected to vary during the seismic cycle, and this may influence the stability of the Coulomb wedges. We use the ADELI finite element code (Chery and Hassani, 2000) to model the quasi-static stress and strain of a decollement and splay fault system, within a two dimensional elasto-plastic wedge with Drucker-Prager rheology. The subduction plane, the basal decollement of the accretionary wedge and the splay fault are modeled with contact elements. The modeled margin comprises an inner and an outer domain with distinct tapers and basal friction coefficients. For a given splay fault geometry, we evaluate the friction coefficient threshold for splay fault activation as a function of the basal friction coefficients, and examine the consequences of motion along the splay fault on stress and strain within the wedge and on the surface slope at equilibrium. Friction coefficients are varied in time to mimic the consequence of the seismic cycle on the static stress state and strain distribution. Results show the possibility of coexistence of localized extensional regime above the splay fault within a regional compressional regime. Such coexistence is consistent with stress orientation estimation made from breakouts in the Nankai accretionary prim (Kinoshita et al, 2009).

Structure of the 1906 near-surface rupture zone of the San Andreas Fault, San Francisco Peninsula segment, near Woodside, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosa, C.M.; Catchings, R.D.; Rymer, M.J.; Grove, Karen; Goldman, M.R.

2016-07-08

High-resolution seismic-reflection and refraction images of the 1906 surface rupture zone of the San Andreas Fault near Woodside, California reveal evidence for one or more additional near-surface (within about 3 meters [m] depth) fault strands within about 25 m of the 1906 surface rupture. The 1906 surface rupture above the groundwater table (vadose zone) has been observed in paleoseismic trenches that coincide with our seismic profile and is seismically characterized by a discrete zone of low P-wave velocities (Vp), low S-wave velocities (Vs), high Vp/Vs ratios, and high Poisson’s ratios. A second near-surface fault strand, located about 17 m to the southwest of the 1906 surface rupture, is inferred by similar seismic anomalies. Between these two near-surface fault strands and below 5 m depth, we observed a near-vertical fault strand characterized by a zone of high Vp, low Vs, high Vp/Vs ratios, and high Poisson’s ratios on refraction tomography images and near-vertical diffractions on seismic-reflection images. This prominent subsurface zone of seismic anomalies is laterally offset from the 1906 surface rupture by about 8 m and likely represents the active main (long-term) strand of the San Andreas Fault at 5 to 10 m depth. Geometries of the near-surface and subsurface (about 5 to 10 m depth) fault zone suggest that the 1906 surface rupture dips southwestward to join the main strand of the San Andreas Fault at about 5 to 10 m below the surface. The 1906 surface rupture forms a prominent groundwater barrier in the upper 3 to 5 m, but our interpreted secondary near-surface fault strand to the southwest forms a weaker barrier, suggesting that there has been less or less-recent near-surface slip on that strand. At about 6 m depth, the main strand of the San Andreas Fault consists of water-saturated blue clay (collected from a hand-augered borehole), which is similar to deeply weathered serpentinite observed within the main strand of the San Andreas Fault at nearby sites. Multiple fault strands in the area of the 1906 surface rupture may account for variations in geologic slip rates calculated from several paleoseismic sites along the Peninsula segment of the San Andreas Fault.t.

Deformation of conjugate compliant fault zones induced by the 2013 Mw7.7 Baluchistan (Pakistan) earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Rishabh; Wang, Teng; Feng, Guangcai; Harrington, Jonathan; Vasyura-Bathke, Hannes; Jónsson, Sigurjón

2017-04-01

Strain localizations in compliant fault zones (with elastic moduli lower than the surrounding rocks) induced by nearby earthquakes have been detected using geodetic observations in a few cases in the past. Here we observe small-scale changes in interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measurements along multiple conjugate faults near the rupture of the 2013 Mw7.7 Baluchistan (Pakistan) earthquake. After removing the main coseismic deformation signal in the interferograms and correcting them for topography-related phase, we observe 2-3 cm signal along several conjugate faults that are 15-30 km from the mainshock fault rupture. These conjugate compliant faults have strikes of N30°E and N45°W. The sense of motion indicates left-lateral deformation across the N30°E faults and right-lateral deformation across the N45°W faults, which suggests the conjugate faults were subjected to extensional coseismic stresses along the WSW-ENE direction. The spacing between the different sets of faults is around 5 to 8 km. We explain the observed strain localizations as an elastic response of the compliant conjugate faults induced by the Baluchistan earthquake. Using 3D Finite Element models (FEM), we impose coseismic static displacements due to the earthquake along the boundaries of the FEM domain to reproduce the coseismic stress changes acting across the compliant faults. The InSAR measurements are used to constrain the geometry and rigidity variations of the compliant faults with respect to the surrounding rocks. The best fitting models show the compliant fault zones to have a width of 0.5 km to 2 km and a reduction of the shear modulus by a factor of 3 to 4. Our study yields similar values as were found for compliant fault zones near the 1992 Landers and the 1999 Hector Mine earthquakes in California, although here the strain localization is occurring on more complex conjugate sets of faults.

The South Sandwich "Forgotten" Subduction Zone and Tsunami Hazard in the South Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okal, E. A.; Hartnady, C. J. H.; Synolakis, C. E.

2009-04-01

While no large interplate thrust earthquakes are know at the "forgotten" South Sandwich subduction zone, historical catalogues include a number of events with reported magnitudes 7 or more. A detailed seismological study of the largest event (27 June 1929; M (G&R) = 8.3) is presented. The earthquake relocates 80 km North of the Northwestern corner of the arc and its mechanism, inverted using the PDFM method, features normal faulting on a steeply dipping fault plane (phi, delta, lambda = 71, 70, 272 deg. respectively). The seismic moment of 1.7*10**28 dyn*cm supports Gutenberg and Richter's estimate, and is 28 times the largest shallow CMT in the region. This event is interpreted as representing a lateral tear in the South Atlantic plate, comparable to similar earthquakes in Samoa and Loyalty, deemed "STEP faults" by Gover and Wortel [2005]. Hydrodynamic simulations were performed using the MOST method [Titov and Synolakis, 1997]. Computed deep-water tsunami amplitudes of 30cm and 20cm were found off the coast of Brazil and along the Gulf of Guinea (Ivory Coast, Ghana) respectively. The 1929 moment was assigned to the geometries of other know earthquakes in the region, namely outer-rise normal faulting events at the center of the arc and its southern extremity, and an interplate thrust fault at the Southern corner, where the youngest lithosphere is subducted. Tsunami hydrodynamic simulation of these scenarios revealed strong focusing of tsunami wave energy by the SAR, the SWIOR and the Agulhas Rise, in Ghana, Southern Mozambique and certain parts of the coast of South Africa. This study documents the potential tsunami hazard to South Atlantic shorelines from earthquakes in this region, principally normal faulting events.

South Sandwich: The Forgotten Subduction Zone and Tsunami Hazard in the South Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okal, E. A.; Hartnady, C. J.

2008-12-01

While no large interplate thrust earthquakes are known at the South Sandwich subduction zone, historical catalogues include a number of earthquakes with reported magnitudes of 7 or more. We present a detailed seismological study of the largest one (27 June 1929; M (G&R) = 8.3). The earthquake relocates 80 km North of the Northwestern corner of the arc. Its mechanism, inverted using the PDFM method, features normal faulting on a steeply dipping fault plane (phi, delta, lambda = 71, 70, 272 deg.). The seismic moment, 1.7 10**28 dyn*cm, supports Gutenberg and Richter's estimate, and is 28 times the largest shallow CMT in the region. The 1929 event is interpreted as representing a lateral tear in the South Atlantic plate, comparable to similar earthquakes in Samoa and Loyalty, deemed "STEP faults" by Gover and Wortel [2005]. Hydrodynamic simulations using the MOST method [Titov and Synolakis, 1997] suggest deep-water tsunami amplitudes reaching 30 cm off the coast of Brazil, where it should have had observable run-up, and 20 cm along the Gulf of Guinea (Ivory Coast, Ghana). We also simulate a number of potential sources obtained by assigning the 1929 moment to the geometries of other known earthquakes in the region, namely outer-rise normal faulting events at the center of the arc and its southern extremity, and an interplate thrust fault at the Southern corner, where the youngest lithosphere is subducted. A common feature of these models is the strong focusing of tsunami waves by the SAR, the SWIOR, and the Agulhas Rise, resulting in amplitudes always enhanced in Ghana, Southern Mozambique and certain parts of the coast of South Africa. This study documents the potential tsunami hazard to South Atlantic shorelines from earthquakes in this region, principally normal faulting events.

Estimates of Cutoff Depths of Seismogenic Layer in Kanto Region from the High-Resolution Relocated Earthquake Catalog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, T.; Yano, T. E.; Shiomi, K.

2013-12-01

The highly-developed active fault evaluation is necessary particularly at the Kanto metropolitan area, where multiple major active fault zones exist. The cutoff depth of active faults is one of important parameters since it is a good indicator to define fault dimensions and hence its maximum expected magnitude. The depth is normally estimated from microseismicity, thermal structure, and depths of Curie point and Conrad discontinuity. For instance, Omuralieva et al. (2012) has estimated the cutoff depths of the whole Japan by creating a 3-D relocated hypocenter catalog. However its spatial resolution could be insufficient for the robustness of the active faults evaluation since precision within 15 km that is comparable to the minimum evaluated fault size is preferred. Therefore the spatial resolution of the earthquake catalog to estimate the cutoff depth is required to be smaller than 15 km. This year we launched the Japan Unified hIgh-resolution relocated Catalog for Earthquakes (JUICE) Project (Yano et al., this fall meeting), of which objective is to create precise and reliable earthquake catalog for all of Japan, using waveform cross-correlation data and Double-Difference relocation method (Waldhauser and Ellsworth, 2000). This catalog has higher precision of hypocenter determination than the routine one. In this study, we estimate high-resolution cutoff depths of seismogenic layer using this catalog of the Kanto region where preliminary JUICE analysis has been already done. D90, the cutoff depths which contain 90% of the occuring earthquake is often used as a reference to understand the seismogenic layer. The reason of choosing 90% is because it relies on uncertainties based on the amount of depth errors of hypocenters.. In this study we estimate D95 because more precise and reliable catalog is now available by the JUICE project. First we generate 10 km equally spaced grid in our study area. Second we pick hypocenters within a radius of 10 km from each grid point and arrange into hypocenter groups. Finally we estimate D95 from the hypocenter groups at each grid point. During the analysis we use three conditions; (1) the depths of the hypocenters we used are less than 25 km; (2) the minimum number of the hypocenter group is 25; and (3) low frequency earthquakes are excluded. Our estimate of D95 shows undulated and fine features, such as having a different profile along the same fault. This can be seen at two major fault zones: (1) Tachikawa fault zone, and (2) the northwest marginal fault zone of the Kanto basin. The D95 gets deeper from northwest to southwest along these fault zones, , suggesting that the constant cutoff depth cannot be used even along the same fault zone. One of patters of our D95 shows deeper in the south Kanto region. The reason for this pattern could be that hypocenters we used in this study may be contaminated by seismicity near the plate boundary between the Philippine Sea plate and the Eurasian plate. Therefore we should carefully interpret D95 in the south Kanto.

Reactivation of intrabasement structures during rifting: A case study from offshore southern Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Thomas B.; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.; Bell, Rebecca E.; Duffy, Oliver B.; Fossen, Haakon

2016-10-01

Pre-existing structures within crystalline basement may exert a significant influence over the evolution of rifts. However, the exact manner in which these structures reactivate and thus their degree of influence over the overlying rift is poorly understood. Using borehole-constrained 2D and 3D seismic reflection data from offshore southern Norway we identify and constrain the three-dimensional geometry of a series of enigmatic intrabasement reflections. Through 1D waveform modelling and 3D mapping of these reflection packages, we correlate them to the onshore Caledonian thrust belt and Devonian shear zones. Based on the seismic-stratigraphic architecture of the post-basement succession, we identify several phases of reactivation of the intrabasement structures associated with multiple tectonic events. Reactivation preferentially occurs along relatively thick (c. 1 km), relatively steeply dipping (c. 30°) structures, with three main styles of interactions observed between them and overlying faults: i) faults exploiting intrabasement weaknesses represented by intra-shear zone mylonites; ii) faults that initiate within the hangingwall of the shear zones, inheriting their orientation and merging with said structure at depth; or iii) faults that initiate independently from and cross-cut intrabasement structures. We demonstrate that large-scale discrete shear zones act as a long-lived structural template for fault initiation during multiple phases of rifting.

Active arc-continent collision: Earthquakes, gravity anomalies, and fault kinematics in the Huon-Finisterre collision zone, Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abers, Geoffrey A.; McCaffrey, Robert

1994-04-01

The Huon-Finisterre island arc terrane is actively colliding with the north edge of the Australian continent. The collision provides a rare opportunity to study continental accretion while it occurs. We examine the geometry and kinematics of the collision by comparing earthquake source parameters to surface fault geometries and plate motions, and we constrain the forces active in the collision by comparing topographic loads to gravity anomalies. Waveform inversion is used to constrain focal mechanisms for 21 shallow earthquakes that occurred between 1966 and 1992 (seismic moment 1017 to 3 × 1020 N m). Twelve earthquakes show thrust faulting at 22-37 km depth. The largest thrust events are on the north side of the Huon Peninsula and are consistent with slip on the Ramu-Markham thrust fault zone, the northeast dipping thrust fault system that bounds the Huon-Finisterre terrane. Thus much of the terrane's crust but little of its mantle is presently being added to the Australian continent. The large thrust earthquakes also reveal a plausible mechanism for the uplift of Pleistocene coral terraces on the north side of the Huon Peninsula. Bouguer gravity anomalies are too negative to allow simple regional compensation of topography and require large additional downward forces to depress the lower plate beneath the Huon Peninsula. With such forces, plate configurations are found that are consistent with observed gravity and basin geometry. Other earthquakes give evidence of deformation above and below the Ramu-Markham thrust system. Four thrust events, 22-27 km depth directly below the Ramu-Markham fault outcrop, are too deep to be part of a planar Ramu-Markham thrust system and may connect to the north dipping Highlands thrust system farther south. Two large strike-slip faulting earthquakes and their aftershocks, in 1970 and 1987, show faulting within the upper plate of the thrust system. The inferred fault planes show slip vectors parallel to those on nearby thrust faults, and may represent small offsets in the overriding plate. These faults, along with small normal-faulting earthquakes beneath the Huon-Finisterre ranges and a 25° along-strike rotation of slip vectors, demonstrate the presence of along-strike extension of the accreting terrane and along-strike compression of the lower plate.

Movement sense determination in sheared rocks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simpson, C.

1985-01-01

Deformation within fault zones produces sheared rocks that range from cataclasites at high structural level, to mylonites and mylonitic gneiss at deeper levels. These rocks are easily recognized and mapped in the field and the strike and dip of the fault zone established. However, present-day geometry of the fault zone does not necessarily indicate relative motion - a zone dipping at 15/sup 0/ could represent a listric normal, thrust, oblique-slip or tilted strike-slip fault. Where offset stratigraphic or lithological markers are absent, the movement sense may be determined from meso- and micro-structural features within the sheared rocks. Of prime importancemore » is the orientation of mineral elongation or stretching lineations which record the finite X direction of strain in the rock; this direction approaches the bulk movement direction with increase in strain. At mesoscopic scale the most reliable shear sense indicators are shear bands and associated features. Use of fold vergence requires caution. On a micro-structural scale, shear bands, mica fish, microfolds, rotated grains, asymmetrical augen structure and fiber growth patterns all give reliable results. Thin sections should be cut parallel to lineation and perpendicular to foliation in order to view maximum rotational component. Asymmetry of crystallographic fabric patterns gives consistent results in zones of relatively simple movement history. For high confidence shear sense determination, all structural elements should be internally consistent. If inconsistency occurs this may indicate a complex, multidirectional movement history for the fault zone.« less

Pleistocene Brawley and Ocotillo Formations: Evidence for initial strike-slip deformation along the San Felipe and San Jacinto fault zonez, Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirby, S.M.; Janecke, S.U.; Dorsey, R.J.; Housen, B.A.; Langenheim, V.E.; McDougall, K.A.; Steeley, A.N.

2007-01-01

We examine the Pleistocene tectonic reorganization of the Pacific-North American plate boundary in the Salton Trough of southern California with an integrated approach that includes basin analysis, magnetostratigraphy, and geologic mapping of upper Pliocene to Pleistocene sedimentary rocks in the San Felipe Hills. These deposits preserve the earliest sedimentary record of movement on the San Felipe and San Jacinto fault zones that replaced and deactivated the late Cenozoic West Salton detachment fault. Sandstone and mudstone of the Brawley Formation accumulated between ???1.1 and ???0.6-0.5 Ma in a delta on the margin of an arid Pleistocene lake, which received sediment from alluvial fans of the Ocotillo Formation to the west-southwest. Our analysis indicates that the Ocotillo and Brawley formations prograded abruptly to the east-northeast across a former mud-dominated perennial lake (Borrego Formation) at ???1.1 Ma in response to initiation of the dextral-oblique San Felipe fault zone. The ???25-km-long San Felipe anticline initiated at about the same time and produced an intrabasinal basement-cored high within the San Felipe-Borrego basin that is recorded by progressive unconformities on its north and south limbs. A disconformity at the base of the Brawley Formation in the eastern San Felipe Hills probably records initiation and early blind slip at the southeast tip of the Clark strand of the San Jacinto fault zone. Our data are consistent with abrupt and nearly synchronous inception of the San Jacinto and San Felipe fault zones southwest of the southern San Andreas fault in the early Pleistocene during a pronounced southwestward broadening of the San Andreas fault zone. The current contractional geometry of the San Jacinto fault zone developed after ???0.5-0.6 Ma during a second, less significant change in structural style. ?? 2007 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

Age constraints for the present fault configuration in the Imperial Valley, California: Evidence for northwestward propagation of the Gulf of California rift system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsen, Shawn; Reilinger, Robert

1990-01-01

Releveling and other geophysical data for the Imperial Valley of southern California suggest the northern section of the Imperial-Brawley fault system, which includes the Mesquite Basin and Brawley Seismic Zone, is much younger than the 4 to 5 million year age of the valley itself. A minimum age of 3000 years is calculated for the northern segment of the Imperial fault from correlations between surface topography and geodetically observed seismic/interseismic vertical movements. Calculations of a maximum age of 80,000 years is based upon displacements in the crystalline basement along the Imperial fault, inferred from seismic refraction surveys. This young age supports recent interpretations of heat flow measurements, which also suggest that the current patterns of seismicity and faults in the Imperial Valley are not long lived. The current fault geometry and basement morphology suggest northwestward growth of the Imperial fault and migration of the Brawley Seismic Zone. It is suggested that this migration is a manifestation of the propagation of the Gulf of California rift system into the North American continent.

Seismic Investigations of an Accommodation zone in the Northern Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldridge, W. S.; Valdes, J.; Nedorub, O.; Phrampus, B.; Braile, L. W.; Ferguson, J. F.; Benage, M. C.; Litherland, M.

2010-12-01

Seismic reflection and refraction data acquired in the Rio Grande rift near Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2009 and 2010 by the SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience) program imaged the La Bajada fault (LBF) and strata offset across the associated, perpendicular Budagher fault (BF). The LBF is a major basin-bounding normal fault, offset down to the west; the smaller BF is an extensional fault that breaks the hanging wall ramp of the LBF. We chose this area because it is in a structurally complex region of the rift, comprising a small sub-basin and plunging relay ramps, where north-trending, en echelon basin-bounding faults (including the LBF) transfer crustal extension laterally between the larger Española (to north) and Albuquerque rift basins. Our data help determine the precise location and geometry of the poorly exposed LBF, which, near the survey location, offsets the rift margin vertically about 3,000 m. When integrated with industry reflection data and other SAGE seismic, gravity, and magnetotelluric surveys, we are able to map differences in offset and extension laterally (especially southward) along the fault. We interpret only about 200 m of normal offset across the BF. Our continuing work helps define multiple structural elements, partly buried by syn-rift basin-filling sedimentary rocks, of a complex intra-rift accommodation zone. We are also able to discriminate pre-Eocene (Laramide) from post-Miocene (rift) structures. Our data help determine the amount of vertical offset of pre-rift strata across structural elements of the accommodation zone, and depth and geometry of basin fill. A goal is to infer the kinematic development of this margin of the rift, linkages among faults, growth history, and possible pre-rift structural controls. This information will be potentially useful for evaluation of resources, including oil and/or gas in pre-rift strata and ground water in Late Miocene to Holocene rift-filling units.

Influence of slip-surface geometry on earth-flow deformation, Montaguto earth flow, southern Italy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guerriero, L.; Coe, Jeffrey A.; Revellio, P.; Grelle, G.; Pinto, F.; Guadagno, F.

2016-01-01

We investigated relations between slip-surface geometry and deformational structures and hydrologic features at the Montaguto earth flow in southern Italy between 1954 and 2010. We used 25 boreholes, 15 static cone-penetration tests, and 22 shallow-seismic profiles to define the geometry of basal- and lateral-slip surfaces; and 9 multitemporal maps to quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of normal faults, thrust faults, back-tilted surfaces, strike-slip faults, flank ridges, folds, ponds, and springs. We infer that the slip surface is a repeating series of steeply sloping surfaces (risers) and gently sloping surfaces (treads). Stretching of earth-flow material created normal faults at risers, and shortening of earth-flow material created thrust faults, back-tilted surfaces, and ponds at treads. Individual pairs of risers and treads formed quasi-discrete kinematic zones within the earth flow that operated in unison to transmit pulses of sediment along the length of the flow. The locations of strike-slip faults, flank ridges, and folds were not controlled by basal-slip surface topography but were instead dependent on earth-flow volume and lateral changes in the direction of the earth-flow travel path. The earth-flow travel path was strongly influenced by inactive earth-flow deposits and pre-earth-flow drainages whose positions were determined by tectonic structures. The implications of our results that may be applicable to other earth flows are that structures with strikes normal to the direction of earth-flow motion (e.g., normal faults and thrust faults) can be used as a guide to the geometry of basal-slip surfaces, but that depths to the slip surface (i.e., the thickness of an earth flow) will vary as sediment pulses are transmitted through a flow.

Structural analysis of S-wave seismics around an urban sinkhole: evidence of enhanced dissolution in a strike-slip fault zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadas, Sonja H.; Tanner, David C.; Polom, Ulrich; Krawczyk, Charlotte M.

2017-12-01

In November 2010, a large sinkhole opened up in the urban area of Schmalkalden, Germany. To determine the key factors which benefited the development of this collapse structure and therefore the dissolution, we carried out several shear-wave reflection-seismic profiles around the sinkhole. In the seismic sections we see evidence of the Mesozoic tectonic movement in the form of a NW-SE striking, dextral strike-slip fault, known as the Heßleser Fault, which faulted and fractured the subsurface below the town. The strike-slip faulting created a zone of small blocks ( < 100 m in size), around which steep-dipping normal faults, reverse faults and a dense fracture network serve as fluid pathways for the artesian-confined groundwater. The faults also acted as barriers for horizontal groundwater flow perpendicular to the fault planes. Instead groundwater flows along the faults which serve as conduits and forms cavities in the Permian deposits below ca. 60 m depth. Mass movements and the resulting cavities lead to the formation of sinkholes and dissolution-induced depressions. Since the processes are still ongoing, the occurrence of a new sinkhole cannot be ruled out. This case study demonstrates how S-wave seismics can characterize a sinkhole and, together with geological information, can be used to study the processes that result in sinkhole formation, such as a near-surface fault zone located in soluble rocks. The more complex the fault geometry and interaction between faults, the more prone an area is to sinkhole occurrence.

Feasibility of estimating cementation rates in a brittle fault zone using Sr/Ca partition coefficients for sedimentary diagenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadizadeh, Jafar; Foit, Franklin F.

2000-04-01

Cement phases such as calcite or quartz often incorporate trace elements from the parent fluids as they crystallize. Experimental sedimentary diagenesis indicates that trace element partition coefficients reflect rates of cementation. The applicability of these findings to fault zone cementation is examined as we make a preliminary attempt to estimate calcite cementation rate in a brittle fault zone directly from the fault-rock composition data. Samples for this study were collected from the Knoxville outcrop of the Saltville fault in Tennessee. The cementation rates for the fault rock samples range from 1×10 -12 to 3×10 -13 m3/ h per m, in agreement with some experimental rates and the rates reported for samples from the DSDP sites. When applied to a non-responsive pore-system model, these rates result in rapid precipitation sealing indicating the influence exerted by the surface-area/volume ratio of the pore network. We find it feasible to obtain a reasonable range of values for the cementation rate using the trace element partition method. However, the study also indicates the need for relatively accurate values for the trace/carrier element ratio in the fault zone syntectonic pore fluid, and exhumed cement.

The change in orientation of subsidiary shears near faults containing pore fluid under high pressure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byerlee, J.

1992-01-01

Byerlee, J., 1992. The change in orientation of subsidiary shears near faults containing pore fluid under high pressure. In: T. Mikumo, K. Aki, M. Ohnaka, L.J. Ruff and P.K.P. Spudich (Editors), Earthquake Source Physics and Earthquake Precursors. Tectonophysics, 211: 295-303. The mechanical effects of a fault containing near-lithostatic fluid pressure in which fluid pressure decreases monotonically from the core of the fault zone to the adjacent country rock is considered. This fluid pressure distribution has mechanical implications for the orientation of subsidiary shears around a fault. Analysis shows that the maximum principal stress is oriented at a high angle to the fault in the country rock where the pore pressure is hydrostatic, and rotates to 45?? to the fault within the fault zone where the pore pressure is much higher. This analysis suggests that on the San Andreas fault, where heat flow constraints require that the coefficient of friction for slip on the fault be less than 0.1, the pore fluid pressure on the main fault is 85% of the lithostatic pressure. The observed geometry of the subsidiary shears in the creeping section of the San Andreas are broadly consistent with this model, with differences that may be due to the heterogeneous nature of the fault. ?? 1992.

Slip rate on the San Diego trough fault zone, inner California Borderland, and the 1986 Oceanside earthquake swarm revisited

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ryan, Holly F.; Conrad, James E.; Paull, C.K.; McGann, Mary

2012-01-01

The San Diego trough fault zone (SDTFZ) is part of a 90-km-wide zone of faults within the inner California Borderland that accommodates motion between the Pacific and North American plates. Along with most faults offshore southern California, the slip rate and paleoseismic history of the SDTFZ are unknown. We present new seismic reflection data that show that the fault zone steps across a 5-km-wide stepover to continue for an additional 60 km north of its previously mapped extent. The 1986 Oceanside earthquake swarm is located within the 20-km-long restraining stepover. Farther north, at the latitude of Santa Catalina Island, the SDTFZ bends 20° to the west and may be linked via a complex zone of folds with the San Pedro basin fault zone (SPBFZ). In a cooperative program between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), we measure and date the coseismic offset of a submarine channel that intersects the fault zone near the SDTFZ–SPBFZ junction. We estimate a horizontal slip rate of about 1:5 0:3 mm=yr over the past 12,270 yr.

Earthquake behavior along the Levant fault from paleoseismology (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klinger, Y.; Le Beon, M.; Wechsler, N.; Rockwell, T. K.

2013-12-01

The Levant fault is a major continental structure 1200 km-long that bounds the Arabian plate to the west. The finite offset of this left-lateral strike-slip fault is estimated to be 105 km for the section located south of the restraining bend corresponding roughly to Lebanon. Along this southern section the slip-rate has been estimated over a large range of time scales, from few years to few hundreds thousands of years. Over these different time scales, studies agree for the slip-rate to be 5mm/yr × 2 mm/yr. The southern section of the Levant fault is particularly attractive to study earthquake behavior through time for several reasons: 1/ The fault geometry is simple and well constrained. 2/ The fault system is isolated and does not interact with obvious neighbor fault systems. 3/ The Middle-East, where the Levant fault is located, is the region in the world where one finds the longest and most complete historical record of past earthquakes. About 30 km north of the city of Aqaba, we opened a trench in the southern part of the Yotvata playa, along the Wadi Araba fault segment. The stratigraphy presents silty sand playa units alternating with coarser sand sediments from alluvial fans flowing westwards from the Jordan plateau. Two fault zones can be recognized in the trench and a minimum of 8 earthquakes can be identified, based on upward terminations of ground ruptures. Dense 14C dating through the entire exposure allows matching the 4 most recent events with historical events in AD1458, AD1212, AD1068 and AD748. Size of the ground rupture suggests a bi-modal distribution of earthquakes with earthquakes rupturing the entire Wadi Araba segment and earthquakes ending in the extensional jog forming the playa. Timing of earthquakes shows that no earthquakes occurred at this site since about 600 years, suggesting earthquake clustering along this section of the fault and potential for a large earthquake in the near future. 3D paleoseismological trenches at the Beteiha site, north of the lake Tiberias, show that there the earthquake activity varies significantly through time, with periods of intense seismic activity associated to small horizontal offsets and periods of bigger earthquakes with larger offsets. Hence, earthquake clustering also seems to govern earthquake occurrence along this segment of the Levant fault. On the contrary, further north, where the fault bends and deformation is spread between several parallel faults, paleoseismological trenches at the Yammouneh site show that earthquakes seem to be fairly regular every 800 years. Such difference in behavior along different sections of the fault suggests that the fault geometry might play an important role in the way earthquakes are distributed through time.

Mechanical deformation model of the western United States instantaneous strain-rate field

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollitz, F.F.; Vergnolle, M.

2006-01-01

We present a relationship between the long-term fault slip rates and instantaneous velocities as measured by Global Positioning System (GPS) or other geodetic measurements over a short time span. The main elements are the secularly increasing forces imposed by the bounding Pacific and Juan de Fuca (JdF) plates on the North American plate, viscoelastic relaxation following selected large earthquakes occurring on faults that are locked during their respective interseismic periods, and steady slip along creeping portions of faults in the context of a thin-plate system. In detail, the physical model allows separate treatments of faults with known geometry and slip history, faults with incomplete characterization (i.e. fault geometry but not necessarily slip history is available), creeping faults, and dislocation sources distributed between the faults. We model the western United States strain-rate field, derived from 746 GPS velocity vectors, in order to test the importance of the relaxation from historic events and characterize the tectonic forces imposed by the bounding Pacific and JdF plates. Relaxation following major earthquakes (M ??? 8.0) strongly shapes the present strain-rate field over most of the plate boundary zone. Equally important are lateral shear transmitted across the Pacific-North America plate boundary along ???1000 km of the continental shelf, downdip forces distributed along the Cascadia subduction interface, and distributed slip in the lower lithosphere. Post-earthquake relaxation and tectonic forcing, combined with distributed deep slip, constructively interfere near the western margin of the plate boundary zone, producing locally large strain accumulation along the San Andreas fault (SAF) system. However, they destructively interfere further into the plate interior, resulting in smaller and more variable strain accumulation patterns in the eastern part of the plate boundary zone. Much of the right-lateral strain accumulation along the SAF system is systematically underpredicted by models which account only for relaxation from known large earthquakes. This strongly suggests that in addition to viscoelastic-cycle effects, steady deep slip in the lower lithosphere is needed to explain the observed strain-rate field. ?? 2006 The Authors Journal compilation ?? 2006 RAS.

Style and Rate of Late Pleistocene - Holocene Deformation of the Poukawa Fault Zone, Central Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basili, R.; Langridge, R. M.; Villamor, P.; Rieser, U.

2008-12-01

The Poukawa Fault Zone is one component of a complex system of contractional faulting in eastern North Island, New Zealand. It is located within the actively uplifting Hikurangi Margin where the Australian plate meets the Pacific plate at a convergence rate of over 40 mm/yr. The most destructive earthquake in New Zealand history, the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake of M 7.8, occurred just off the northern termination of the Poukawa Fault Zone. To the south and probably within the Poukawa Fault Zone, another strong earthquake struck near Waipukurau in 1863. We have characterized the contemporary style of faulting along the zone on the basis of an integrated analysis of a broad spectrum of data, including exploratory trenching; geomorphic data aided by 1m resolution digital orthophotos, a LIDAR-derived Terrain Model, and GPS-RTK surveys; stratigraphic and paleoseismic analysis; radiocarbon and OSL dating and tephra correlation. We have also made a detailed reconstruction of the terrace sequences formed where the Kaikora Stream crosses at a high angle to the Poukawa Fault Zone. These data show that the Poukawa Fault Zone is a contractional fault system formed by a series of NE-SW strands with style varying, from west to east, from high-angle east-dipping reverse to low-angle west-dipping thrusting. The geometry of the system suggests that these faults may merge at shallow depth into a single large structure capable of generating strong earthquakes similar to those that occurred in the past on nearby sections. All these faults variously displace the top of the Ohakean aggradation surface (12-15 ka) thereby generating scarps of several meters. The Kaikora Stream terrace sequences also testify to a series of uplift events associated with the late-Holocene growth of two of the eastern thrust faults. Two reaches of Kaikora Stream show evidence of uplifted and abandoned inset Holocene stream terraces found in association with a surface-rupture trace and an active fold. The four terraces in each case correspond in number with paeloearthquake events recognized in trenches nearby (Kelsey et al. 1998). Based on these relations the recurrence interval of surface faulting and folding is c. 3000-3700 yr. The abandonment of a low inset terrace capped by peat and Waimihia Tephra (c. 3400 yr BP) is consistent with this average recurrence. Based on the deformation of the dated Ohakean surface across the entire Poukawa Fault Zone, its reverse slip rate is c. 1-2 mm/yr.

Postseismic deformation associated with the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, China: Constraining fault geometry and investigating a detailed spatial distribution of afterslip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Zhongshan; Yuan, Linguo; Huang, Dingfa; Yang, Zhongrong; Chen, Weifeng

2017-12-01

We reconstruct two types of fault models associated with the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, one is a listric fault connecting a shallowing sub-horizontal detachment below ∼20 km depth (fault model one, FM1) and the other is a group of more steeply dipping planes further extended to the Moho at ∼60 km depth (fault model two, FM2). Through comparative analysis of the coseismic inversion results, we confirm that the coseismic models are insensitive to the above two type fault geometries. We therefore turn our attention to the postseismic deformation obtained from GPS observations, which can not only impose effective constraints on the fault geometry but also, more importantly, provide valuable insights into the postseismic afterslip. Consequently, FM1 performs outstandingly in the near-, mid-, and far-field, whether considering the viscoelastic influence or not. FM2 performs more poorly, especially in the data-model consistency in the near field, which mainly results from the trade-off of the sharp contrast of the postseismic deformation on both sides of the Longmen Shan fault zone. Accordingly, we propose a listric fault connecting a shallowing sub-horizontal detachment as the optimal fault geometry for the Wenchuan earthquake. Based on the inferred optimal fault geometry, we analyse two characterized postseismic deformation phenomena that differ from the coseismic patterns: (1) the postseismic opposite deformation between the Beichuan fault (BCF) and Pengguan fault (PGF) and (2) the slightly left-lateral strike-slip motions in the southwestern Longmen Shan range. The former is attributed to the local left-lateral strike-slip and normal dip-slip components on the shallow BCF. The latter places constraints on the afterslip on the southwestern BCF and reproduces three afterslip concentration areas with slightly left-lateral strike-slip motions. The decreased Coulomb Failure Stress (CFS) change ∼0.322 KPa, derived from the afterslip with viscoelastic influence removed at the hypocentre of the Lushan earthquake, indicates that the postseismic left-lateral strike-slip and normal dip-slip motions may have a mitigative effect on the fault loading in the southwestern Longmen Shan range. Nevertheless, it is much smaller than the total increased CFS changes (∼8.368 KPa) derived from the coseismic and viscoelastic deformations.

Geometry and segmentation of the North Anatolian Fault beneath the Marmara Sea, Turkey, deduced from long-term ocean bottom seismographic observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Yojiro; Takahashi, Narumi; Pinar, Ali; Kalafat, Dogan; Citak, Seckin; Comoglu, Mustafa; Polat, Remzi; Kaneda, Yoshiyuki

2017-04-01

Both the geometry and the depth of the seismogenic zone of the North Anatolian Fault under the Marmara Sea (the Main Marmara Fault; MMF) are poorly understood, in part because of the fault's undersea location. We have started a series of long-term ocean bottom seismographs (OBSs) observation since 2014, as a part of the SATREPS collaborative project between Japan and Turkey namely "Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Mitigation in the Marmara Region and Disaster Education in Turkey". We recorded 10 months of microseismic data with a dense array of OBSs from Sep. 2014 to Jul. 2015 and then applied double-difference relocation and 3-D tomographic modeling to obtain precise hypocenters on the MMF beneath the central and western Marmara Sea. The hypocenters show distinct lateral changes along the MMF: (1) Both the upper and lower crust beneath the Western High are seismically active and the maximum focal depth reaches 26 km, (2) seismic events are confined to the upper crust beneath the region extending from the eastern part of the Central Basin to the Kumburgaz Basin, and (3) the magnitude and direction of dip of the main fault changes under the Central Basin, where there is also an abrupt change in the depth of the lower limit of the seismogenic zone. We attribute this change to a segment boundary of the MMF. Our data show that the upper limit of the seismogenic zone corresponds to sedimentary basement. We also identified several inactive seismicity regions within the upper crust along the MMF; their spatial extent beneath the Kumburgaz Basin is greater than beneath the Western High. From the comparison with seafloor extensometer data, we consider that these inactive seismicity regions might indicate zones of strong coupling that are accumulating stress for release during future large earthquakes. In this presentation, we will also show the preliminary result of our second phase observation from Jul. 2015 to Jun. 2016.

The role of major rift faults in the evolution of deformation bands in the Rio do Peixe Basin, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilario Bezerra, Francisco; Araujo, Renata; Maciel, Ingrid; Cezar Nogueira, Francisco; Balsamo, Fabrizio; Storti, Fabrizio; Souza, Jorge Andre; Carvalho, Bruno

2017-04-01

Many studies have investigated on the evolution and properties of deformation bands, but their occurrence and relationships with basin-boundary faults remain elusive when the latter form by brittle reactivation of structural inheritance in crystalline basements. The main objective of our study was to systematically record the location, kinematics, geometry, and density of deformation bands in the early Cretaceous Rio do Peixe basin, NE Brazil, and analyze their relationship with major syn-rift fault zones. Reactivation in early Cretaceous times of continental-scale ductile shear zones led to the development of rift basins in NE Brazil. These shear zones form a network of NE- and E-W-trending structures hundreds of kilometers long and 3-10 km wide. They were active in the Brasiliano orogeny at 540-740 Ma. Brittle reactivation of these structures occurred in Neocomian times ( 140-120 Ma) prior the breakup between the South American and African plates in the late Cretaceous. The Rio do Peixe basin formed at the intersection between the NE-SW-striking Portalegre shear zone and the E-W-striking Patos shear zone. The brittle fault systems developed by the shear zone reactivation are the Portalegre Fault and the Malta Fault, respectively. In this research we used field structural investigations and drone imagery with centimetric resolution. Our results indicate that deformation bands occur in poorly sorted, medium to coarse grain size sandstones and localize in 3-4 km wide belts in the hanging wall of the two main syn-rifts fault systems. Deformation bands formed when sandstones were not completely lithified. They strike NE along the Portalegre Fault and E-W along the Malta Fault and have slip lineations with rake values ranging from 40 to 90. The kinematics recorded in deformation bands is consistent with that characterizing major rift fault systems, i.e. major extension with a strike-slip component. Since deformations bands are typical sub-seismic features, our findings can have implications for the prediction of deformation band occurrence in sedimentary basins and their geometric and kinematic relations with major basin-boundary fault systems.

Finite-frequency wave propagation through outer rise fault zones and seismic measurements of upper mantle hydration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Nathaniel; Lizarralde, Daniel

2016-01-01

Effects of serpentine-filled fault zones on seismic wave propagation in the upper mantle at the outer rise of subduction zones are evaluated using acoustic wave propagation models. Modeled wave speeds depend on azimuth, with slowest speeds in the fault-normal direction. Propagation is fastest along faults, but, for fault widths on the order of the seismic wavelength, apparent wave speeds in this direction depend on frequency. For the 5–12 Hz Pn arrivals used in tomographic studies, joint-parallel wavefronts are slowed by joints. This delay can account for the slowing seen in tomographic images of the outer rise upper mantle. At the Middle America Trench, confining serpentine to fault zones, as opposed to a uniform distribution, reduces estimates of bulk upper mantle hydration from ~3.5 wt % to as low as 0.33 wt % H2O.

Seismic Sources for the Territory of Georgia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsereteli, N. S.; Varazanashvili, O.

2011-12-01

The southern Caucasus is an earthquake prone region where devastating earthquakes have repeatedly caused significant loss of lives, infrastructure and buildings. High geodynamic activity of the region expressed in both seismic and aseismic deformations, is conditioned by the still-ongoing convergence of lithospheric plates and northward propagation of the Afro-Arabian continental block at a rate of several cm/year. The geometry of tectonic deformations in the region is largely determined by the wedge-shaped rigid Arabian block intensively intended into the relatively mobile Middle East-Caucasian region. Georgia is partner of ongoing regional project EMME. The main objective of EMME is calculation of Earthquake hazard uniformly with heights standards. One approach used in the project is the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. In this approach the first parameter requirement is the definition of seismic source zones. Seismic sources can be either faults or area sources. Seismoactive structures of Georgia are identified mainly on the basis of the correlation between neotectonic structures of the region and earthquakes. Requirements of modern PSH software to geometry of faults is very high. As our knowledge of active faults geometry is not sufficient, area sources were used. Seismic sources are defined as zones that are characterized with more or less uniform seismicity. Poor knowledge of the processes occurring in deep of the Earth is connected with complexity of direct measurement. From this point of view the reliable data obtained from earthquake fault plane solution is unique for understanding the character of a current tectonic life of investigated area. There are two methods of identification if seismic sources. The first is the seimsotectonic approach, based on identification of extensive homogeneous seismic sources (SS) with the definition of probability of occurrence of maximum earthquake Mmax. In the second method the identification of seismic sources will be obtained on the bases of structural geology, parameters of seismicity and seismotectonics. This last approach was used by us. For achievement of this purpose it was necessary to solve following problems: to calculate the parameters of seismotectonic deformation; to reveal regularities in character of earthquake fault plane solution; use obtained regularities to develop principles of an establishment of borders between various hierarchical and scale levels of seismic deformations fields and to give their geological interpretation; Three dimensional matching of active faults with real geometrical dimension and earthquake sources have been investigated. Finally each zone have been defined with the parameters: the geometry, the magnitude-frequency parameters, maximum magnitude, and depth distribution as well as modern dynamical characteristics widely used for complex processes

Kinematics of shallow backthrusts in the Seattle fault zone, Washington State

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pratt, Thomas L.; Troost, K.G.; Odum, Jackson K.; Stephenson, William J.

2015-01-01

Near-surface thrust fault splays and antithetic backthrusts at the tips of major thrust fault systems can distribute slip across multiple shallow fault strands, complicating earthquake hazard analyses based on studies of surface faulting. The shallow expression of the fault strands forming the Seattle fault zone of Washington State shows the structural relationships and interactions between such fault strands. Paleoseismic studies document an ∼7000 yr history of earthquakes on multiple faults within the Seattle fault zone, with some backthrusts inferred to rupture in small (M ∼5.5–6.0) earthquakes at times other than during earthquakes on the main thrust faults. We interpret seismic-reflection profiles to show three main thrust faults, one of which is a blind thrust fault directly beneath downtown Seattle, and four small backthrusts within the Seattle fault zone. We then model fault slip, constrained by shallow deformation, to show that the Seattle fault forms a fault propagation fold rather than the alternatively proposed roof thrust system. Fault slip modeling shows that back-thrust ruptures driven by moderate (M ∼6.5–6.7) earthquakes on the main thrust faults are consistent with the paleoseismic data. The results indicate that paleoseismic data from the back-thrust ruptures reveal the times of moderate earthquakes on the main fault system, rather than indicating smaller (M ∼5.5–6.0) earthquakes involving only the backthrusts. Estimates of cumulative shortening during known Seattle fault zone earthquakes support the inference that the Seattle fault has been the major seismic hazard in the northern Cascadia forearc in the late Holocene.

Owen Fracture Zone: The Arabia-India plate boundary unveiled

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fournier, M.; Chamot-Rooke, N.; Rodriguez, M.; Huchon, P.; Petit, C.; Beslier, M. O.; Zaragosi, S.

2011-02-01

We surveyed the Owen Fracture Zone at the boundary between the Arabia and India plates in the NW Indian Ocean using a high-resolution multibeam echo-sounder (Owen cruise, 2009) for search of active faults. Bathymetric data reveal a previously unrecognized submarine fault scarp system running for over 800 km between the Sheba Ridge in the Gulf of Aden and the Makran subduction zone. The primary plate boundary structure is not the bathymetrically high Owen Ridge, but is instead a series of clearly delineated strike-slip fault segments separated by several releasing and restraining bends. Despite an abundant sedimentary supply by the Indus River flowing from the Himalaya, fault scarps are not obscured by recent deposits and can be followed over hundreds of kilometres, pointing to very active tectonics. The total strike-slip displacement of the fault system is 10-12 km, indicating that it has been active for the past ~ 3 to 6 Ma if its current rate of motion of 3 ± 1 mm yr- 1 has remained stable. We describe the geometry of this recent fault system, including a major pull-apart basin at the latitude 20°N, and we show that it closely follows an arc of small circle centred on the Arabia-India pole of rotation, as expected for a transform plate boundary.

The 3D fault and vein architecture of strike-slip releasing- and restraining bends: Evidence from volcanic-centre-relatedmineral deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berger, B.R.; ,

2007-01-01

High-temperature, volcanic-centre-related hydrothermal systems involve large fluid-flow volumes and are observed to have high discharge rates in the order of 100-400 kg/s. The flows and discharge occur predominantly on networks of critically stressed fractures. The coupling of hydrothermal fluid flow with deformation produces the volumes of veins found in epithermal mineral deposits. Owing to this coupling, veins provide information on the fault-fracture architecture in existence at the time of mineralization. They therefore provide information on the nature of deformation within fault zones, and the relations between different fault sets. The Virginia City and Goldfield mining districts, Nevada, were localized in zones of strike-slip transtension in an Early to Mid-Miocene volcanic belt along the western margin of North America. The Camp Douglas mining area occurs within the same belt, but is localized in a zone of strike-slip transpression. The vein systems in these districts record the spatial evolution of strike-slip extensional and contractional stepovers, as well as geometry of faulting in and adjacent to points along strike-slip faults where displacement has been interrupted and transferred into releasing and restraining stepovers. ?? The Geological Society of London 2007.

Boundary-layer mantle flow under the Dead Sea transform fault inferred from seismic anisotropy.

PubMed

Rümpker, Georg; Ryberg, Trond; Bock, Günter

2003-10-02

Lithospheric-scale transform faults play an important role in the dynamics of global plate motion. Near-surface deformation fields for such faults are relatively well documented by satellite geodesy, strain measurements and earthquake source studies, and deeper crustal structure has been imaged by seismic profiling. Relatively little is known, however, about deformation taking place in the subcrustal lithosphere--that is, the width and depth of the region associated with the deformation, the transition between deformed and undeformed lithosphere and the interaction between lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle flow at the plate boundary. Here we present evidence for a narrow, approximately 20-km-wide, subcrustal anisotropic zone of fault-parallel mineral alignment beneath the Dead Sea transform, obtained from an inversion of shear-wave splitting observations along a dense receiver profile. The geometry of this zone and the contrast between distinct anisotropic domains suggest subhorizontal mantle flow within a vertical boundary layer that extends through the entire lithosphere and accommodates the transform motion between the African and Arabian plates within this relatively narrow zone.

Interaction between fault systems in a complex tectonic setting: Insights from InSAR and Teleseismic analysis of the 2015 Lake Saurez and 2016 Muji fault earthquake sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanjundiah, P.; Barbot, S.; Wei, S.; Tapponnier, P.; Feng, W.; Wang, T.

2017-12-01

The Pamir Plateau is a complex and important component of the India-Eurasia Collision zone. Despite being similar to the Tibetan plateau in elevation and collision processes, quite a bit is still unknown about the structure and the tectonic processes occurring in this region. We aim to better understand the structure, stress and deformation patterns in the northern and central Pamir plateau by analysing InSAR, teleseismic, and optical data for two large earthquakes that occurred in this region between December 2015 (Mw 7.2, Lake Saurez) and November 2016 (Mw 6.6 Muji Fault). We constrain the fault geometry by precisely relocating aftershocks using the double difference technique implemented in HypoDD (Waldhauser & Ellsworth 2000). We used Okada's (1992) Green Functions to invert for slip on the fault with a rectangular dislocation and edgreen to numerically invert for the slip in a layered medium (Wang et al. 2005). The combined datasets highlight the existence of an oblique fault between two major thrust fault systems i.e. the Darwas & the Karakoram faults. The December 2015 event highlights complexity in this fault system. The combination of data sets used in this study highlights the existence of a seismic gap south of Lake Karakul as well as coupling between the Muji and Darwas-Karakoram fault systems. We emphasise the role of smaller faults and their interactions in accommodating the overall strain and tectonics in the Pamir region and their effect on estimating local seismic hazard.

Tertiary extension and mineral deposits, southwestern U.S.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rehrig, William A.; Hardy, James.J.

1996-01-01

Starting in Las Vegas, we will traverse through many of the geometric elements and complexities of hanging wall deformation above the regional detachment systems of the Colorado River extensional terrane. We will study the interaction of normal faults as arranged in regional, crustal-scale mega-domains and the bounding structures that separate these tilt domains. As we progress through the classic Eldorado Mountains-Hoover Dam region, where many of the ideas of listric normal faulting were first popularized, we will see both the real rocks and the historic rationale for their deformation. By examining the listric versus domino models for normal faulting, we will utilize different geometric techniques for determining the depth to the detachment structures and percent extension. Continuing further south toward southernmost Nevada, we will cross the accommodation zone that separates the Lake Mead and Whipple dip domains and further descend to deeper structural levels to examine lower levels of the major normal faults and their tilting of upper-crustal blocks and associated offset along the regional detachment faults. Fluid flow within the shattered fault zones and its relationship to the 3-D geometries of the fault surfaces will be studied both along the faults and within the hydrothermally altered and mineralized wallrocks.

Central Japan's Atera Active Fault's Wide-Fractured Zone: An Examination of the Structure and In-situ Crustal Stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, R.; Omura, K.; Matsuda, T.; Mizuochi, Y.; Uehara, D.; Chiba, A.; Kikuchi, A.; Yamamoto, T.

2001-12-01

In-situ downhole measurements and coring within and around an active fault zone are needed to better understand the structure and material properties of fault rocks as well as the physical state of active faults and intra-plate crust. Particularly, the relationship between the stress concentration state and the heterogeneous strength of an earthquake fault zone is important to estimate earthquake occurrence mechanisms which correspond to the prediction of an earthquake. It is necessary to compare some active faults in different conditions of the chrysalis stage and their relation to subsequent earthquake occurrence. To better understand such conditions, "Active Fault Zone Drilling Project" has been conducted in the central part of Japan by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention. The Nojima fault which appeared on the surface by the 1995 Great Kobe earthquake (M=7.2) and the Neodani fault created by the 1981 Nobi earthquake, the greatest inland earthquake M=8.0 in Japan, have been drilled through the fault fracture zones. During these past four years, a similar experiment and research at the Atera fault, of which some parts seem to have been dislocated by the 1586 Tensyo earthquake, has been undertaken. The features of the Atera fault are as follows: (1) total length is about 70 km, (2) general trend is NW45_Kwith a left-lateral strike slip, (3) slip rate is estimated as 3-5 m/1000 yrs. and the average recurrence time as 1700 yrs., (4) seismicity is very low at present, and (5) lithologies around the fault are basically granitic rocks and rhyolite. We have conducted integrated investigations by surface geophysical survey and drilling around the Atera fault. Six boreholes have been drilled from the depth of 400 m to 630 m. Four of these boreholes are located on a line crossing the fracture zone of the Atera fault. Resistivity and gravity structures inferred from surface geophysical surveys were compared with the physical properties determined from the borehole logging data and core samples. These results were also compared with in situ stress data by the hydraulic fracturing stress measurements in the boreholes. We obtained characteristic states on crustal stress and strength of the fault from these investigations. Our findings are as follows: (1) The fracture zone around the Atera fault shows a very wide and complex fracture structure, from approximately 1 km to 4 km wide. The average slip rate was estimated to be 5.3 m /1000 yrs. by the distribution of basalt in age of 1.5 Ma by radioactive dating. We inferred that the Atera fault has been repeatedly active in recent geologic time; however, it is in a very weak state at present. (2) The stress magnitude decreases in the area closer to the center of the fracture zone. Furthermore the orientation of the maximum horizontal compressive stress was almost in a North-South direction, just reverse of the fault moving direction. These are important results to evaluate fault activity. We argue that the stress state observed in these sites exists only when the faults are quite "weak," and thus does not reach to a critical level of fault activation in the present situation.

Transfer zones and fault reactivation in inverted rift basins: Insights from physical modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konstantinovskaya, Elena A.; Harris, Lyal B.; Poulin, Jimmy; Ivanov, Gennady M.

2007-08-01

Lateral transfer zones of deformation and fault reactivation were investigated in multilayered silicone-sand models during extension and subsequent co-axial shortening. Model materials were selected to meet similarity criteria and to be distinguished on CT scans; this approach permitted non-destructive visualisation of the progressive evolution of structures. Transfer zones were initiated by an orthogonal offset in the geometry of a basal mobile aluminium sheet and/or by variations of layer thickness or material rheology in basal layers. Transfer zones affected rift propagation and fault kinematics in models. Propagation and overlapping rift culminations occurred in transfer zones during extension. During shortening, deviation in the orientation of frontal thrusts and fold axes occurred within transfer zones in brittle and ductile layers, respectively. CT scans showed that steep (58-67°) rift-margin normal faults were reactivated as reverse faults. The reactivated faults rotated to shallower dips (19-38°) with continuing shortening after 100% inversion. Rotation of rift phase faults appears to be due to deep level folding and uplift during the inversion phase. New thrust faults with shallow dips (20-34°) formed outside the inverted graben at late stages of shortening. Frontal ramps propagated laterally past the transfer structure during shortening. During inversion, the layers filling the rift structures underwent lateral compression at the depth, the graben fill was pushed up and outwards creating local extension near the surface. Sand marker layers in inverted graben have showed fold-like structures or rotation and tilting in the rifts and on the rift margins. The results of our experiments conform well to natural examples of inverted graben. Inverted rift basins are structurally complex and often difficult to interpret in seismic data. The models may help to unravel the structure and evolution of these systems, leading to improved hydrocarbon exploration assessments. Model results may also be used to help predict the location of basement discontinuities which may have focused hydrothermal fluids during basin formation and inversion.

Nitsche Extended Finite Element Methods for Earthquake Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coon, Ethan T.

Modeling earthquakes and geologically short-time-scale events on fault networks is a difficult problem with important implications for human safety and design. These problems demonstrate a. rich physical behavior, in which distributed loading localizes both spatially and temporally into earthquakes on fault systems. This localization is governed by two aspects: friction and fault geometry. Computationally, these problems provide a stern challenge for modelers --- static and dynamic equations must be solved on domains with discontinuities on complex fault systems, and frictional boundary conditions must be applied on these discontinuities. The most difficult aspect of modeling physics on complicated domains is the mesh. Most numerical methods involve meshing the geometry; nodes are placed on the discontinuities, and edges are chosen to coincide with faults. The resulting mesh is highly unstructured, making the derivation of finite difference discretizations difficult. Therefore, most models use the finite element method. Standard finite element methods place requirements on the mesh for the sake of stability, accuracy, and efficiency. The formation of a mesh which both conforms to fault geometry and satisfies these requirements is an open problem, especially for three dimensional, physically realistic fault. geometries. In addition, if the fault system evolves over the course of a dynamic simulation (i.e. in the case of growing cracks or breaking new faults), the geometry must he re-meshed at each time step. This can be expensive computationally. The fault-conforming approach is undesirable when complicated meshes are required, and impossible to implement when the geometry is evolving. Therefore, meshless and hybrid finite element methods that handle discontinuities without placing them on element boundaries are a desirable and natural way to discretize these problems. Several such methods are being actively developed for use in engineering mechanics involving crack propagation and material failure. While some theory and application of these methods exist, implementations for the simulation of networks of many cracks have not yet been considered. For my thesis, I implement and extend one such method, the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM), for use in static and dynamic models of fault networks. Once this machinery is developed, it is applied to open questions regarding the behavior of networks of faults, including questions of distributed deformation in fault systems and ensembles of magnitude, location, and frequency in repeat ruptures. The theory of XFEM is augmented to allow for solution of problems with alternating regimes of static solves for elastic stress conditions and short, dynamic earthquakes on networks of faults. This is accomplished using Nitsche's approach for implementing boundary conditions. Finally, an optimization problem is developed to determine tractions along the fault, enabling the calculation of frictional constraints and the rupture front. This method is verified via a series of static, quasistatic, and dynamic problems. Armed with this technique, we look at several problems regarding geometry within the earthquake cycle in which geometry is crucial. We first look at quasistatic simulations on a community fault model of Southern California, and model slip distribution across that system. We find the distribution of deformation across faults compares reasonably well with slip rates across the region, as constrained by geologic data. We find geometry can provide constraints for friction, and consider the minimization of shear strain across the zone as a function of friction and plate loading direction, and infer bounds on fault strength in the region. Then we consider the repeated rupture problem, modeling the full earthquake cycle over the course of many events on several fault geometries. In this work, we look at distributions of events, studying the effect of geometry on statistical metrics of event ensembles. Finally, this thesis is a proof of concept for the XFEM on earthquake cycle models on fault systems. We identify strengths and weaknesses of the method, and identify places for future improvement. We discuss the feasibility of the method's use in three dimensions, and find the method to be a strong candidate for future crustal deformation simulations.

Geometry of Thrust Faults Beneath Amenthes Rupes, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vidal, A.; Mueller, K. M.; Golombek, M. P.

2005-01-01

Amenthes Rupes is a 380 km-long lobate fault scarp located in the eastern hemisphere of Mars near the dichotomy boundary. The scarp is marked by about 1 km of vertical separation across a northeast dipping thrust fault (top to the SW) and offsets heavily-cratered terrain of Late Noachian age, the visible portion of which was in place by 3.92 Ga and the buried portion in place between 4.08 and 4.27 Ga. The timing of scarp formation is difficult to closely constrain. Previous geologic mapping shows that near the northern end of Amenthes Rupes, Hesperian age basalts terminate at the scarp, suggesting that fault slip predated the emplacement of these flows at 3.69 to 3.9 Ga. Maxwell and McGill also suggest the faulting ceased before the final emplacement of the Late Hesperian lavas on Isidis Planitia. The trend of the faults at Amenthes, like many thrust faults at the dichotomy boundary, parallels the boundary itself. Schultz and Watters used a dislocation modeling program to match surface topography and vertical offset of the scarp at Amenthes Rupes, varying the dip and depth of faulting, assuming a slip of 1.5 km on the fault. They modeled faulting below Amenthes Rupes as having a dip of between 25 and 30 degrees and a depth of 25 to 35 km, based on the best match to topography. Assuming a 25 degree dip and surface measurements of vertical offset of between 0.3 and 1.2 km, Watters later estimated the maximum displacement on the Amenthes Rupes fault to be 2.90 km. However, these studies did not determine the geometry of the thrust using quantitative constraints that included shortening estimates. Amenthes Rupes deforms large preexisting impact craters. We use these craters to constrain shortening across the scarp and combine this with vertical separation to infer fault geometry. Fault dip was also estimated using measurements of scarp morphology. Measurements were based on 460 m (1/128 per pixel) digital elevation data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), an instrument on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) satellite.

The Kinematics of Central American Fore-Arc Motion in Nicaragua: Geodetic, Geophysical and Geologic Study of Magma-Tectonic Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Femina, P. C.; Geirsson, H.; Saballos, A.; Mattioli, G. S.

2017-12-01

A long-standing paradigm in plate tectonics is that oblique convergence results in strain partitioning and the formation of migrating fore-arc terranes accommodated on margin-parallel strike-slip faults within or in close proximity to active volcanic arcs (e.g., the Sumatran fault). Some convergent margins, however, are segmented by margin-normal faults and margin-parallel shear is accommodated by motion on these faults and by vertical axis block rotation. Furthermore, geologic and geophysical observations of active and extinct margins where strain partitioning has occurred, indicate the emplacement of magmas within the shear zones or extensional step-overs. Characterizing the mechanism of accommodation is important for understanding short-term (decadal) seismogenesis, and long-term (millions of years) fore-arc migration, and the formation of continental lithosphere. We investigate the geometry and kinematics of Quaternary faulting and magmatism along the Nicaraguan convergent margin, where historical upper crustal earthquakes have been located on margin-normal, strike-slip faults within the fore arc and arc. Using new GPS time series, other geophysical and geologic data, we: 1) determine the location of the maximum gradient in forearc motion; 2) estimate displacement rates on margin-normal faults; and 3) constrain the geometric moment rate for the fault system. We find that: 1) forearc motion is 11 mm a-1; 2) deformation is accommodated within the active volcanic arc; and 3) that margin-normal faults can have rates of 10 mm a-1 in agreement with geologic estimates from paleoseismology. The minimum geometric moment rate for the margin-normal fault system is 2.62x107 m3 yr-1, whereas the geometric moment rate for historical (1931-2006) earthquakes is 1.01x107 m3/yr. The discrepancy between fore-arc migration and historical seismicity may be due to aseismic accommodation of fore-arc motion by magmatic intrusion along north-trending volcanic alignments within the volcanic arc.

Airborne LiDAR analysis and geochronology of faulted glacial moraines in the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone reveal substantial seismic hazards in the Lake Tahoe region, California-Nevada USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howle, James F.; Bawden, Gerald W.; Schweickert, Richard A.; Finkel, Robert C.; Hunter, Lewis E.; Rose, Ronn S.; von Twistern, Brent

2012-01-01

We integrated high-resolution bare-earth airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) imagery with field observations and modern geochronology to characterize the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone, which forms the neotectonic boundary between the Sierra Nevada and the Basin and Range Province west of Lake Tahoe. The LiDAR imagery clearly delineates active normal faults that have displaced late Pleistocene glacial moraines and Holocene alluvium along 30 km of linear, right-stepping range front of the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone. Herein, we illustrate and describe the tectonic geomorphology of faulted lateral moraines. We have developed new, three-dimensional modeling techniques that utilize the high-resolution LiDAR data to determine tectonic displacements of moraine crests and alluvium. The statistically robust displacement models combined with new ages of the displaced Tioga (20.8 ± 1.4 ka) and Tahoe (69.2 ± 4.8 ka; 73.2 ± 8.7 ka) moraines are used to estimate the minimum vertical separation rate at 17 sites along the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone. Near the northern end of the study area, the minimum vertical separation rate is 1.5 ± 0.4 mm/yr, which represents a two- to threefold increase in estimates of seismic moment for the Lake Tahoe basin. From this study, we conclude that potential earthquake moment magnitudes (Mw) range from 6.3 ± 0.25 to 6.9 ± 0.25. A close spatial association of landslides and active faults suggests that landslides have been seismically triggered. Our study underscores that the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone poses substantial seismic and landslide hazards.

Structural control on volcanoes and magma paths from local- to orogen-scale: The central Andes case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tibaldi, A.; Bonali, F. L.; Corazzato, C.

2017-03-01

Assessing the parameters that control the location and geometry of magma paths is of paramount importance for the comprehension of volcanic plumbing systems and geo-hazards. We analyse the distribution of 1518 monogenic and polygenic volcanoes of Miocene-Quaternary age of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes (Chile-Bolivia-Argentina), and reconstruct the magma paths at 315 edifices by analysing the morphostructural characteristics of craters and cones. Then we compare these data with outcropping dykes, tectonic structures and state of stress. Most magma paths trend N-S, NW-SE, and NE-SW, in decreasing order of frequency. The N-S and NW-SE paths coexist in the northern and southern part of the study area, whereas N-S paths dominate east of the Salar de Atacama. Outcropping dykes show the same trends. The regional Holocene stress state is given by an E-W greatest horizontal principal stress. N-S and NNE-SSW reverse faults and folds affect deposits of 4.8, 3.2 and 1.3 Ma BP, especially in the central and southern study areas. A few NW-SE left-lateral strike-slip faults are present in the interior of the volcanic arc, part of which belong to the Calama-Olacapato-El Toro fault. The volcanic chain is also affected by several N-S- and NW-SE-striking normal faults that offset Pliocene and Quaternary deposits. The results indicate different scenarios of magma-tectonic interaction, given by N-S normal and reverse faults and N-S fold hinges that guide volcano emplacement and magma paths. Magma paths are also guided by strike-slip and normal NW-SE faults, especially in the northern part of the study area. Zones with verticalized strata, with bedding striking NE-SW, also acted as preferential magma paths. These data suggest that at convergence zones with continental crust, shallow magma paths can be more sensitive to the presence and geometry of upper crustal weakness zones than to the regional state of stress.

Towards "realistic" fault zones in a 3D structure model of the Thuringian Basin, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kley, J.; Malz, A.; Donndorf, S.; Fischer, T.; Zehner, B.

2012-04-01

3D computer models of geological architecture are evolving into a standard tool for visualization and analysis. Such models typically comprise the bounding surfaces of stratigraphic layers and faults. Faults affect the continuity of aquifers and can themselves act as fluid conduits or barriers. This is one reason why a "realistic" representation of faults in 3D models is desirable. Still so, many existing models treat faults in a simplistic fashion, e.g. as vertical downward projections of fault traces observed at the surface. Besides being geologically and mechanically unreasonable, this also causes technical difficulties in the modelling workflow. Most natural faults are inclined and may change dips according to rock type or flatten into mechanically weak layers. Boreholes located close to a fault can therefore cross it at depth, resulting in stratigraphic control points allocated to the wrong block. Also, faults tend to split up into several branches, forming fault zones. Obtaining a more accurate representation of faults and fault zones is therefore challenging. We present work-in-progress from the Thuringian Basin in central Germany. The fault zone geometries are never fully constrained by data and must be extrapolated to depth. We use balancing of serial, parallel cross-sections to constrain subsurface extrapolations. The structure sections are checked for consistency by restoring them to an undeformed state. If this is possible without producing gaps or overlaps, the interpretation is considered valid (but not unique) for a single cross-section. Additional constraints are provided by comparison of adjacent cross-sections. Structures should change continuously from one section to another. Also, from the deformed and restored cross-sections we can measure the strain incurred during deformation. Strain should be compatible among the cross-sections: If at all, it should vary smoothly and systematically along a given fault zone. The stratigraphic contacts and faults in the resulting grid of parallel balanced sections are then interpolated into a gOcad model containing stratigraphic boundaries and faults as triangulated surfaces. The interpolation is also controlled by borehole data located off the sections and the surface traces of stratigraphic boundaries. We have written customized scripts to largely automatize this step, with particular attention to a seamless fit between stratigraphic surfaces and fault planes which share the same nodes and segments along their contacts. Additional attention was paid to the creation of a uniform triangulated grid with maximized angles. This ensures that uniform triangulated volumes can be created for further use in numerical flow modelling. An as yet unsolved problem is the implementation of the fault zones and their hydraulic properties in a large-scale model of the entire basin. Short-wavelength folds and subsidiary faults control which aquifers and seals are juxtaposed across the fault zones. It is impossible to include these structures in the regional model, but neglecting them would result in incorrect assessments of hydraulic links or barriers. We presently plan to test and calibrate the hydraulic properties of the fault zones in smaller, high-resolution models and then to implement geometrically simple "equivalent" fault zones with appropriate, variable transmissivities between specific aquifers.

Large mid-Holocene and late Pleistocene earthquakes on the Oquirrh fault zone, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olig, S.S.; Lund, W.R.; Black, B.D.

1994-01-01

The Oquirrh fault zone is a range-front normal fault that bounds the east side of Tooele Valley and it has long been recognized as a potential source for large earthquakes that pose a significant hazard to population centers along the Wasatch Front in central Utah. Scarps of the Oquirrh fault zone offset the Provo shoreline of Lake Bonneville and previous studies of scarp morphology suggested that the most recent surface-faulting earthquake occurred between 9000 and 13,500 years ago. Based on a potential rupture length of 12 to 21 km from previous mapping, moment magnitude (Mw) estimates for this event range from 6.3 to 6.6 In contrast, our results from detailed mapping and trench excavations at two sites indicate that the most-recent event actually occurred between 4300 and 6900 yr B.P. (4800 and 7900 cal B.P.) and net vertical displacements were 2.2 to 2.7 m, much larger than expected considering estimated rupture lengths for this event. Empirical relations between magnitude and displacement yield Mw 7.0 to 7.2. A few, short discontinuous fault scarps as far south as Stockton, Utah have been identified in a recent mapping investigation and our results suggest that they may be part of the Oquirrh fault zone, increasing the total fault length to 32 km. These results emphasize the importance of integrating stratigraphic and geomorphic information in fault investigations for earthquake hazard evaluations. At both the Big Canyon and Pole Canyon sites, trenches exposed faulted Lake Bonneville sediments and thick wedges of fault-scarp derived colluvium associated with the most-recent event. Bulk sediment samples from a faulted debris-flow deposit at the Big Canyon site yield radiocarbon ages of 7650 ?? 90 yr B.P. and 6840 ?? 100 yr B.P. (all lab errors are ??1??). A bulk sediment sample from unfaulted fluvial deposits that bury the fault scarp yield a radiocarbon age estimate of 4340 ?? 60 yr B.P. Stratigraphic evidence for a pre-Bonneville lake cycle penultimate earthquake was exposed at the Pole Canyon site, and although displacement is not well constrained, the penultimate event colluvial wedge is comparable in size to the most-recent event wedges. Charcoal from a marsh deposit, which overlies the penultimate event colluvium and was deposited during the Bonneville lake cycle transgression, yields an AMS radiocarbon age of 20,370 ?? 120 yr B.P. Multiple charcoal fragments from fluvial deposits faulted during the penultimate event yield an AMS radiocarbon age of 26,200 ?? 200 yr B.P. Indirect stratigraphic evidence for an antepenultimate event was also exposed at Pole Canyon. Charcoal from fluvial sediments overlying the eroded free-face for this event yields an AMS age of 33,950 ?? 1160 yr B.P., providing a minimum limiting age on the antepenultimate event. Ages for the past two events on the Oquirrh fault zone yield a recurrence interval of 13,300 to 22,100 radiocarbon years and estimated slip rates of 0.1 to 0.2 mm/yr. Temporal clustering of earthquakes on the nearby Wasatch fault zone in the late Holocene does not appear to have influenced activity on the Oquirrh fault zone. However, consistent with findings on the Wasatch fault zone and with some other Quaternary faults within the Bonneville basin, we found evidence for higher rates of activity during interpluvial periods than during the Bonneville lake cycle. If a causal relation between rates of strain release along faults and changes in loads imposed by the lake does exist, it may have implications for fault dips and mechanics. However, our data are only complete for one deep-lake cycle (the past 32,000 radiocarbon years), and whether this pattern persisted during the previous Cutler Dam and Little Valley deep-lake cycles is unknown. ?? 1994.

Numerical modeling of regional stress distributions for geothermal exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillon, Theophile; Peter-Borie, Mariane; Gentier, Sylvie; Blaisonneau, Arnold

2017-04-01

Any high-enthalpy unconventional geothermal projectcan be jeopardized by the uncertainty on the presence of the geothermal resource at depth. Indeed, for the majority of such projects the geothermal resource is deeply seated and, with the drilling costs increasing accordingly, must be located as precisely as possible to increase the chance of their economic viability. In order to reduce the "geological risk", i.e., the chance to poorly locate the geothermal resource, a maximum amount of information must be gathered prior to any drilling of exploration and/or operational well. Cross-interpretation from multiple disciplines (e.g., geophysics, hydrology, geomechanics …) should improve locating the geothermal resource and so the position of exploration wells ; this is the objective of the European project IMAGE (grant agreement No. 608553), under which the work presented here was carried out. As far as geomechanics is concerned, in situ stresses can have a great impact on the presence of a geothermal resource since they condition both the regime within the rock mass, and the state of the major fault zones (and hence, the possible flow paths). In this work, we propose a geomechanical model to assess the stress distribution at the regional scale (characteristic length of 100 kilometers). Since they have a substantial impact on the stress distributions and on the possible creation of regional flow paths, the major fault zones are explicitly taken into account. The Distinct Element Method is used, where the medium is modeled as fully deformable blocks representing the rock mass interacting through mechanically active joints depicting the fault zones. The first step of the study is to build the model geometry based on geological and geophysical evidences. Geophysical and structural geology results help positioning the major fault zones in the first place. Then, outcrop observations, structural models and site-specific geological knowledge give information on the fault zones family sets and their priority rule. In the second step, the physical model must be established, including constitutive equations for the rock mass and the fault zones, initial state and boundary conditions. At such large scales, physical laws and parameters are difficult to assess and must be constrained by sensitivity analysis. In the last step of the study, the results can be interpreted to highlight areas where the mechanical conditions favor the presence of a geothermal resource. The DEM enables accounting for the strong stress redistributions inherent to highly-segmented geometries, and to the dilational opening of fault zones under shearing. A 130x150 square-kilometers region within the Upper Rhine Graben is used as a case-study to illustrate the building and interpretation of a regional stress model.

Paleostresses estimated from calcite e-twins suggest a change during a seismic cycle: A case study of Yokonami mélange in Cretaceous Shimanto Belt of SW Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eida, M.; Hashimoto, Y.; Kanagawa, K.

2011-12-01

Paleostresses have been estimated by a stress inversion method in a tectonic mélange zone within an on-land accretionary complex. Paleostresses estimated throughout the Yokonami mélange zone, those estimated adjacent to a seismogenic fault at the northern edge of the mélange zone, and those estimated within calcite veins along minor faults have been compared. Yokonami mélange in the Cretaceous Shimanto Belt of SW Japan contains blocks of mainly sandstone with subordinate red shale, chert and basalt in shale matrix. Pseudotachylytes found along its northern boundary fault (the Goshikino-Hama fault) suggest that the fault was once a seismogenic fault. Minor faults are present throughout the Yokonami mélange and also adjacent to the Goshikino-Hama fault, and they clearly cut the mélange fabrics. Minor faults are commonly accompanied by calcite slicken fiber veins on which slicken steps are well developed. Pressures and temperatures during the minor faulting are estimated to be about 180 MPa and 200°C, respectively, on the basis of fluid inclusion thermometry. We have determined slip planes and directions of e-twinning in calcite veins, orientations of which were measured by using a universal stage. 829 data sets were obtained from 20 samples in the northern part of the Yokonami mélange. In addition, we obtained slip-data from minor faults throughout the Yokonami mélange as well as from those adjacent to the seismogenic Goshikino-hama fault. We then used HIM (Hough inversion method) by Yamaji et al. (2006), an inversion method to estimate the orientation and ratio of paleostress from fault slip data, where the stress ratio Φ is defined as (σ2 - σ3 ) / (σ1 - σ3 ). Calcite e-twin data yield two different sets of paleostress; a vertical axial compression with Φ = 0.0446 and an axial extension with Φ = 0.9125. Minor faults adjacent to the Goshikino-Hama fault also yield two sets of paleostress; a vertical axial compression and an axial extension with Φ = 0.1029 and 0.8111, respectively. In contrast, minor faults throughout the Yokonami mélange yield a triaxial paleostress with Φ = 0.6071 and horizontal σ1 in the NW direction. Thus the paleostresses estimated from calcite e-twins are consistent with those estimated from minor faults adjacent to the seismogenic Goshikino-Hama fault, but not with those estimated from minor faults throughout the Yokonami mélange not only in orientations but also in stress ratio. This suggests that a change in stress state occurred in the Yokonami mélange after calcite vein filling, and also that the stress change corresponds to a change in faulting from interseismic faulting in Yokonami mélange to seismic faulting along the Goshikino-Hama fault, as inferred from the dynamic coulomb wedge model by Wang and Hu (2006).

Controls on Patterns of Repeated Fault Rupture: Examples From the Denali and Bear River Faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, D. P.; Hecker, S.

2013-12-01

A requirement for estimating seismic hazards is assigning magnitudes to earthquake sources. This relies on anticipating rupture length and slip along faults. Fundamental questions include whether lengths of past surface ruptures can be reasonably determined from fault zone characteristics and whether the variability in length and slip during repeated faulting can be constrained. To address these issues, we look at rupture characteristics and their possible controls from examples in very different tectonic settings: the high slip rate (≥15 mm/yr) Denali fault system, Alaska, and the recently activated Bear River normal fault, Wyoming-Utah. The 2002 rupture of the central Denali fault (CDF) is associated with two noteworthy geometric features. First, rupture initiated where the Susitna Glacier thrust fault (SG) intersects the CDF at depth, near the apex of a structurally complex restraining bend along the Denali. Paleoseismic data show that for the past 700 years the timing of large surface ruptures on the Denali fault west of the 2002 rupture has been distinct from those along the CDF. For the past ~6ka the frequency of SG to Denali ruptures has been ~1:12, indicating that this complexity of the 2002 rupture has not been common. Second, rupture propagated off of one strike-slip fault (CDF) onto another (the Totschunda fault, TF), an occurrence that seldom has been observed. LiDAR mapping of the intersection shows direct connectivity of the two faults--the CDF simply branches into both the TF and the eastern Denali fault (EDF). Differences in the timing of earthquakes during the past 700-800 years at sites surrounding this intersection, and estimates of accumulated slip from slip rates, indicate that for the 2002 rupture sufficient strain had accumulated on the TF to favor its failure. In contrast, the penultimate CDF rupture, with the same slip distribution as in 2002, appears to have stopped at or near the branch point, implying that neither the TF nor the EDF was stressed sufficiently to fail at that time. The Bear River fault zone (BRFZ) is a young normal fault along the eastern margin of basin-range extension that appears to have reactivated a ramp in the Laramide-age Darby-Hogsback thrust. The entire Cenozoic history of the BRFZ may consist of only two surface-rupturing events in the late Holocene (one at ~5 ka and the most recent at ~2.5 ka). The 40-km-long fault comprises synthetic and antithetic scarps extending across a zone up to 5 km wide. Remote sensing, including airborne LiDAR, and field studies show that, despite the complexity, the pattern of faulting was similar (in location and amount) for each of the two events and, at the south end, was strongly influenced by the east-west-trending Uinta Arch. Pre-existing structure clearly has exerted a first-order control on moment release on this immature fault. As shown by these examples, data on timing of surface ruptures, coseismic slip, slip rate, and fault geometry can provide a basis to constrain lengths of past and future earthquake ruptures, including possible alternative rupture scenarios. The difficult question for hazard analysis is whether the available data capture the full range of behavior and with what relative frequency do the alternatives occur?

Geometry and kinematics of the Triassic rift basin in Jameson Land (East Greenland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guarnieri, Pierpaolo; Brethes, Anaïs.; Rasmussen, Thorkild M.

2017-04-01

The Triassic rift basin along the east Greenland margin described in this paper is represented by NE-SW trending basins and highs segmented by NW-SE trending transfer zones. Coarse-grained sediments along the eastern side of Jameson Land are shown to be hosted in half-graben structures belonging to the Carlsberg Fjord Basin that is bounded by NW dipping normal faults mapped and described after fieldwork in the Klitdal area in Liverpool Land. New aeromagnetic and electromagnetic data together with new drill cores allow the reinterpretation of available seismic lines showing the continuation of the Triassic rift basin toward the SW where it is buried under the Upper Triassic postrift sediments and the Jurassic successions of the Jameson Land Basin. The N-S trending Liverpool Land, interpreted as the boundary block of the Triassic basin, is shown to represent a structural high inherited from the Late Carboniferous tectonics and faulted during the Triassic rifting. The Carlsberg Fjord Basin and the Klitdal Fault System described in this paper should be seen as analogues to the Helgeland Basin in the Norwegian offshore that is bounded by the Ylvingen Fault Zone and to the Papa and West of Shetlands Basins that are bounded by the Spine Fault. The Triassic rift zone and transfer faults on both conjugate margins show a straightforward correlation with the trends of the initial spreading line and fracture zones of the northeast Atlantic indicating a possible inheritance of the Triassic rifting.

The effect of roughness on the nucleation and propagation of shear rupture on small faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tal, Y.; Hager, B. H.

2016-12-01

Faults are rough at all scales and can be described as self-affine fractals. This deviation from planarity results in geometric asperities and a locally heterogeneous stress field, which affect the nucleation and propagation of shear rupture. We study this effect numerically and aim to understand the relative effects of different fault geometries, remote stresses, and medium and fault properties, focusing on small earthquakes, in which realistic geometry and friction law parameters can be incorporated in the model. Our numerical approach includes three main features. First, to enable slip that is large relative to the size of the elements near the fault, as well as the variation of normal stress during slip, we implement slip-weakening and rate-and state-friction laws into the Mortar Finite Element Method, in which non-matching meshes are allowed across the fault and the contacts are continuously updated. Second, we refine the mesh near the fault using hanging nodes, thereby enabling accurate representation of the fault geometry. Finally, using a variable time step size, we gradually increase the remote stress and let the rupture nucleate spontaneously. This procedure involves a quasi-static backward Euler scheme for the inter-seismic stages and a dynamic implicit Newmark scheme for the co-seismic stages. In general, under the same range of external loads, rougher faults experience more events but with smaller slips, stress drops, and slip rates, where the roughest faults experience only slow-slip aseismic events. Moreover, the roughness complicates the nucleation process, with asymmetric expansion of the rupture and larger nucleation length. In the propagation phase of the seismic events, the roughness results in larger breakdown zones.

Anatomy of the dead sea transform from lithospheric to microscopic scale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weber, M.; Abu-Ayyash, K.; Abueladas, A.; Agnon, A.; Alasonati-Tasarova, Z.; Al-Zubi, H.; Babeyko, A.; Bartov, Y.; Bauer, K.; Becken, M.; Bedrosian, P.A.; Ben-Avraham, Z.; Bock, G.; Bohnhoff, M.; Bribach, J.; Dulski, P.; Ebbing, J.; El-Kelani, R.; Forster, A.; Forster, H.-J.; Frieslander, U.; Garfunkel, Z.; Goetze, H.J.; Haak, V.; Haberland, C.; Hassouneh, M.; Helwig, S.; Hofstetter, A.; Hoffmann-Rotrie, A.; Jackel, K.H.; Janssen, C.; Jaser, D.; Kesten, D.; Khatib, M.; Kind, R.; Koch, O.; Koulakov, I.; Laske, Gabi; Maercklin, N.; Masarweh, R.; Masri, A.; Matar, A.; Mechie, J.; Meqbel, N.; Plessen, B.; Moller, P.; Mohsen, A.; Oberhansli, R.; Oreshin, S.; Petrunin, A.; Qabbani, I.; Rabba, I.; Ritter, O.; Romer, R.L.; Rumpker, G.; Rybakov, M.; Ryberg, T.; Saul, J.; Scherbaum, F.; Schmidt, S.; Schulze, A.; Sobolev, S.V.; Stiller, M.; Stromeyer, D.; Tarawneh, K.; Trela, C.; Weckmann, U.; Wetzel, U.; Wylegalla, K.

2009-01-01

Fault zones are the locations where motion of tectonic plates, often associated with earthquakes, is accommodated. Despite a rapid increase in the understanding of faults in the last decades, our knowledge of their geometry, petrophysical properties, and controlling processes remains incomplete. The central questions addressed here in our study of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the Middle East are as follows: (1) What are the structure and kinematics of a large fault zone? (2) What controls its structure and kinematics? (3) How does the DST compare to other plate boundary fault zones? The DST has accommodated a total of 105 km of leftlateral transform motion between the African and Arabian plates since early Miocene (???20 Ma). The DST segment between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, called the Arava/ Araba Fault (AF), is studied here using a multidisciplinary and multiscale approach from the ??m to the plate tectonic scale. We observe that under the DST a narrow, subvertical zone cuts through crust and lithosphere. First, from west to east the crustal thickness increases smoothly from 26 to 39 km, and a subhorizontal lower crustal reflector is detected east of the AF. Second, several faults exist in the upper crust in a 40 km wide zone centered on the AF, but none have kilometer-size zones of decreased seismic velocities or zones of high electrical conductivities in the upper crust expected for large damage zones. Third, the AF is the main branch of the DST system, even though it has accommodated only a part (up to 60 km) of the overall 105 km of sinistral plate motion. Fourth, the AF acts as a barrier to fluids to a depth of 4 km, and the lithology changes abruptly across it. Fifth, in the top few hundred meters of the AF a locally transpressional regime is observed in a 100-300 m wide zone of deformed and displaced material, bordered by subparallel faults forming a positive flower structure. Other segments of the AF have a transtensional character with small pull-aparts along them. The damage zones of the individual faults are only 5-20 m wide at this depth range. Sixth, two areas on the AF show mesoscale to microscale faulting and veining in limestone sequences with faulting depths between 2 and 5 km. Seventh, fluids in the AF are carried downward into the fault zone. Only a minor fraction of fluids is derived from ascending hydrothermal fluids. However, we found that on the kilometer scale the AF does not act as an important fluid conduit. Most of these findings are corroborated using thermomechanical modeling where shear deformation in the upper crust is localized in one or two major faults; at larger depth, shear deformation occurs in a 20-40 km wide zone with a mechanically weak decoupling zone extending subvertically through the entire lithosphere. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Thick-skinned tectonics in a Late Cretaceous-Neogene intracontinental belt (High Atlas Mountains, Morocco): The flat-ramp fault control on basement shortening and cover folding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fekkak, A.; Ouanaimi, H.; Michard, A.; Soulaimani, A.; Ettachfini, E. M.; Berrada, I.; El Arabi, H.; Lagnaoui, A.; Saddiqi, O.

2018-04-01

Most of the structural studies of the intracontinental High Atlas belt of Morocco have dealt with the central part of the belt, whose basement does not crop out. Here we study the Alpine deformation of the North Subatlas Zone, which is the part of the Western High Atlas (WHA) Paleozoic Massif that involves both Paleozoic basement units and remnants of their Mesozoic-Cenozoic cover formations. Our aim is to better constrain the geometry and kinematics of the basement faults during the Alpine shortening. Based on detail mapping, satellite imagery and field observations, we describe an array of sub-equatorial, transverse and oblique faults between the WHA Axial Zone and the Haouz Neogene basin. They define a mosaic of basement blocks pushed upon one another and upon the Haouz basement along the North Atlas Fault (NAF). The Axial Zone makes up the hanging-wall of the Adassil-Medinet Fault (AMF) south of this mosaic. The faults generally presents flat-ramp-flat geometry linked to the activation of multiple décollement levels, either within the basement where its foliation is subhorizontal or within favourable cover formations (Jurassic evaporites, Lower Cretaceous silty red beds, Upper Cretaceous evaporitic marls, Neogene basal argillites). The occurrence of the North Atlas detachment (NAD) allowed folded pop-up units to develop in front of the propagating NAF. Shortening began as early as the Campanian-Maastrichtian along the AMF. The direction of the maximum horizontal stress rotated from NNE-SSW to NNW-SSE from the Maastrichtian-Paleocene to the Neogene. The amount of shortening reaches 20% in the Azegour transect. This compares with the shortening amount published for the central-eastern High Atlas, suggesting that similar structures characterize the Paleozoic basement all along the belt. The WHA thick-skinned tectonics evokes that of the frontal Sevier belt and of the external Western Alps, although with a much minor pre-inversion burial.

Dynamic rupture simulations of the 2016 Mw7.8 Kaikōura earthquake: a cascading multi-fault event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, T.; Gabriel, A. A.; Ampuero, J. P.; Xu, W.; Feng, G.

2017-12-01

The Mw7.8 Kaikōura earthquake struck the Northern part of New Zealand's South Island roughly one year ago. It ruptured multiple segments of the contractional North Canterbury fault zone and of the Marlborough fault system. Field observations combined with satellite data suggest a rupture path involving partly unmapped faults separated by large stepover distances larger than 5 km, the maximum distance usually considered by the latest seismic hazard assessment methods. This might imply distant rupture transfer mechanisms generally not considered in seismic hazard assessment. We present high-resolution 3D dynamic rupture simulations of the Kaikōura earthquake under physically self-consistent initial stress and strength conditions. Our simulations are based on recent finite-fault slip inversions that constrain fault system geometry and final slip distribution from remote sensing, surface rupture and geodetic data (Xu et al., 2017). We assume a uniform background stress field, without lateral fault stress or strength heterogeneity. We use the open-source software SeisSol (www.seissol.org) which is based on an arbitrary high-order accurate DERivative Discontinuous Galerkin method (ADER-DG). Our method can account for complex fault geometries, high resolution topography and bathymetry, 3D subsurface structure, off-fault plasticity and modern friction laws. It enables the simulation of seismic wave propagation with high-order accuracy in space and time in complex media. We show that a cascading rupture driven by dynamic triggering can break all fault segments that were involved in this earthquake without mechanically requiring an underlying thrust fault. Our prefered fault geometry connects most fault segments: it does not features stepover larger than 2 km. The best scenario matches the main macroscopic characteristics of the earthquake, including its apparently slow rupture propagation caused by zigzag cascading, the moment magnitude and the overall inferred slip distribution. We observe a high sensitivity of cascading dynamics on fault-step over distance and off-fault energy dissipation.

The 2009 Samoa-Tonga great earthquake triggered doublet

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lay, T.; Ammon, C.J.; Kanamori, H.; Rivera, L.; Koper, K.D.; Hutko, Alexander R.

2010-01-01

Great earthquakes (having seismic magnitudes of at least 8) usually involve abrupt sliding of rock masses at a boundary between tectonic plates. Such interplate ruptures produce dynamic and static stress changes that can activate nearby intraplate aftershocks, as is commonly observed in the trench-slope region seaward of a great subduction zone thrust event1-4. The earthquake sequence addressed here involves a rare instance in which a great trench-slope intraplate earthquake triggered extensive interplate faulting, reversing the typical pattern and broadly expanding the seismic and tsunami hazard. On 29 September 2009, within two minutes of the initiation of a normal faulting event with moment magnitude 8.1 in the outer trench-slope at the northern end of the Tonga subduction zone, two major interplate underthrusting subevents (both with moment magnitude 7.8), with total moment equal to a second great earthquake of moment magnitude 8.0, ruptured the nearby subduction zone megathrust. The collective faulting produced tsunami waves with localized regions of about 12metres run-up that claimed 192 lives in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga. Overlap of the seismic signals obscured the fact that distinct faults separated by more than 50km had ruptured with different geometries, with the triggered thrust faulting only being revealed by detailed seismic wave analyses. Extensive interplate and intraplate aftershock activity was activated over a large region of the northern Tonga subduction zone. ?? 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

The 2009 Samoa-Tonga great earthquake triggered doublet.

PubMed

Lay, Thorne; Ammon, Charles J; Kanamori, Hiroo; Rivera, Luis; Koper, Keith D; Hutko, Alexander R

2010-08-19

Great earthquakes (having seismic magnitudes of at least 8) usually involve abrupt sliding of rock masses at a boundary between tectonic plates. Such interplate ruptures produce dynamic and static stress changes that can activate nearby intraplate aftershocks, as is commonly observed in the trench-slope region seaward of a great subduction zone thrust event. The earthquake sequence addressed here involves a rare instance in which a great trench-slope intraplate earthquake triggered extensive interplate faulting, reversing the typical pattern and broadly expanding the seismic and tsunami hazard. On 29 September 2009, within two minutes of the initiation of a normal faulting event with moment magnitude 8.1 in the outer trench-slope at the northern end of the Tonga subduction zone, two major interplate underthrusting subevents (both with moment magnitude 7.8), with total moment equal to a second great earthquake of moment magnitude 8.0, ruptured the nearby subduction zone megathrust. The collective faulting produced tsunami waves with localized regions of about 12 metres run-up that claimed 192 lives in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga. Overlap of the seismic signals obscured the fact that distinct faults separated by more than 50 km had ruptured with different geometries, with the triggered thrust faulting only being revealed by detailed seismic wave analyses. Extensive interplate and intraplate aftershock activity was activated over a large region of the northern Tonga subduction zone.

Geophysics in Mejillones Basin, Chile: Dynamic analysis and associatedseismic hazard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maringue, J. I.; Yanez, G. A.; Lira, E.; Podestá, L., Sr.; Figueroa, R.; Estay, N. P.; Saez, E.

2016-12-01

The active margin of South America has a high seismogenic potential. In particular, the Mejillones peninsula, located in northern Chile, represents a site of interest for seismic hazard due to 100-year seismic gap, the potentially large site effects, and the presence of the most important port in the region. We perform a dynamic analysis of the zone from a spatial and petrophysical model of the Mejillones Basin, to understand its behavior under realistic seismic scenarios. Geometry and petrophysics of the basin were obtained from an integrated modeling of geophysics observations (gravity, seismic and electromagnetic data) distributed mainly in Pampa Mejillones whose western edge is limited by Mejillones Fault, oriented north-south. This regional-scale normal fault shows a half-graben geometry which controls the development of the Mejillones basin eastwards. The gravimetric and magnetotelluric methods allow to define the geometry of the basin, through a cover/basement density contrast, and the transition zone from very low-moderate electrical resistivities, respectively. The seismic method complements the petrophysics in terms of the shear wave depth profile. The results show soil's thicknesses up to 700 meters on deeper zone, with steeper slopes to the west and lower slopes to the east, in agreement with the normal-fault-half-graben basin geometry. Along the N-S direction there are not great differences in basin depth, comprising an almost 2D problem. In terms of petrophysics, the sedimentary stratum is characterized by shear velocities between 300-700 m/s, extremely low electrical resistivities, below 1 ohm-m, and densities from 1.4 to 1.8 gr/cc. The numerical simulation of the seismic waves amplification gives values in the order of 0.8g, which implying large surface damages. The results demonstrate a potential risk in Mejillones bay to future events, therefore is very important to generate mitigations policies for infrastructure and human settlements.

Paper 58714 - Exploring activated faults hydromechanical processes from semi-controled field injection experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guglielmi, Y.; Cappa, F.; Nussbaum, C.

2015-12-01

The appreciation of the sensitivity of fractures and fault zones to fluid-induced-deformations in the subsurface is a key question in predicting the reservoir/caprock system integrity around fluid manipulations with applications to reservoir leakage and induced seismicity. It is also a question of interest in understanding earthquakes source, and recently the hydraulic behavior of clay faults under a potential reactivation around nuclear underground depository sites. Fault and fractures dynamics studies face two key problems (1) the up-scaling of laboratory determined properties and constitutive laws to the reservoir scale which is not straightforward when considering faults and fractures heterogeneities, (2) the difficulties to control both the induced seismicity and the stimulated zone geometry when a fault is reactivated. Using instruments dedicated to measuring coupled pore pressures and deformations downhole, we conducted field academic experiments to characterize fractures and fault zones hydromechanical properties as a function of their multi-scale architecture, and to monitor their dynamic behavior during the earthquake nucleation process. We show experiments on reservoir or cover rocks analogues in underground research laboratories where experimental conditions can be optimized. Key result of these experiments is to highlight how important the aseismic fault activation is compared to the induced seismicity. We show that about 80% of the fault kinematic moment is aseismic and discuss the complex associated fault friction coefficient variations. We identify that the slip stability and the slip velocity are mainly controlled by the rate of the permeability/porosity increase, and discuss the conditions for slip nucleation leading to seismic instability.

3-Dimensional Geologic Modeling Applied to the Structural Characterization of Geothermal Systems: Astor Pass, Nevada, USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siler, Drew L; Faulds, James E; Mayhew, Brett

2013-04-16

Geothermal systems in the Great Basin, USA, are controlled by a variety of fault intersection and fault interaction areas. Understanding the specific geometry of the structures most conducive to broad-scale geothermal circulation is crucial to both the mitigation of the costs of geothermal exploration (especially drilling) and to the identification of geothermal systems that have no surface expression (blind systems). 3-dimensional geologic modeling is a tool that can elucidate the specific stratigraphic intervals and structural geometries that host geothermal reservoirs. Astor Pass, NV USA lies just beyond the northern extent of the dextral Pyramid Lake fault zone near the boundarymore » between two distinct structural domains, the Walker Lane and the Basin and Range, and exhibits characteristics of each setting. Both northwest-striking, left-stepping dextral faults of the Walker Lane and kinematically linked northerly striking normal faults associated with the Basin and Range are present. Previous studies at Astor Pass identified a blind geothermal system controlled by the intersection of west-northwest and north-northwest striking dextral-normal faults. Wells drilled into the southwestern quadrant of the fault intersection yielded 94°C fluids, with geothermometers suggesting a maximum reservoir temperature of 130°C. A 3-dimensional model was constructed based on detailed geologic maps and cross-sections, 2-dimensional seismic data, and petrologic analysis of the cuttings from three wells in order to further constrain the structural setting. The model reveals the specific geometry of the fault interaction area at a level of detail beyond what geologic maps and cross-sections can provide.« less

Width of surface rupture zone for thrust earthquakes: implications for earthquake fault zoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boncio, Paolo; Liberi, Francesca; Caldarella, Martina; Nurminen, Fiia-Charlotta

2018-01-01

The criteria for zoning the surface fault rupture hazard (SFRH) along thrust faults are defined by analysing the characteristics of the areas of coseismic surface faulting in thrust earthquakes. Normal and strike-slip faults have been deeply studied by other authors concerning the SFRH, while thrust faults have not been studied with comparable attention. Surface faulting data were compiled for 11 well-studied historic thrust earthquakes occurred globally (5.4 ≤ M ≤ 7.9). Several different types of coseismic fault scarps characterize the analysed earthquakes, depending on the topography, fault geometry and near-surface materials (simple and hanging wall collapse scarps, pressure ridges, fold scarps and thrust or pressure ridges with bending-moment or flexural-slip fault ruptures due to large-scale folding). For all the earthquakes, the distance of distributed ruptures from the principal fault rupture (r) and the width of the rupture zone (WRZ) were compiled directly from the literature or measured systematically in GIS-georeferenced published maps. Overall, surface ruptures can occur up to large distances from the main fault ( ˜ 2150 m on the footwall and ˜ 3100 m on the hanging wall). Most of the ruptures occur on the hanging wall, preferentially in the vicinity of the principal fault trace ( > ˜ 50 % at distances < ˜ 250 m). The widest WRZ are recorded where sympathetic slip (Sy) on distant faults occurs, and/or where bending-moment (B-M) or flexural-slip (F-S) fault ruptures, associated with large-scale folds (hundreds of metres to kilometres in wavelength), are present. A positive relation between the earthquake magnitude and the total WRZ is evident, while a clear correlation between the vertical displacement on the principal fault and the total WRZ is not found. The distribution of surface ruptures is fitted with probability density functions, in order to define a criterion to remove outliers (e.g. 90 % probability of the cumulative distribution function) and define the zone where the likelihood of having surface ruptures is the highest. This might help in sizing the zones of SFRH during seismic microzonation (SM) mapping. In order to shape zones of SFRH, a very detailed earthquake geologic study of the fault is necessary (the highest level of SM, i.e. Level 3 SM according to Italian guidelines). In the absence of such a very detailed study (basic SM, i.e. Level 1 SM of Italian guidelines) a width of ˜ 840 m (90 % probability from "simple thrust" database of distributed ruptures, excluding B-M, F-S and Sy fault ruptures) is suggested to be sufficiently precautionary. For more detailed SM, where the fault is carefully mapped, one must consider that the highest SFRH is concentrated in a narrow zone, ˜ 60 m in width, that should be considered as a fault avoidance zone (more than one-third of the distributed ruptures are expected to occur within this zone). The fault rupture hazard zones should be asymmetric compared to the trace of the principal fault. The average footwall to hanging wall ratio (FW : HW) is close to 1 : 2 in all analysed cases. These criteria are applicable to "simple thrust" faults, without considering possible B-M or F-S fault ruptures due to large-scale folding, and without considering sympathetic slip on distant faults. Areas potentially susceptible to B-M or F-S fault ruptures should have their own zones of fault rupture hazard that can be defined by detailed knowledge of the structural setting of the area (shape, wavelength, tightness and lithology of the thrust-related large-scale folds) and by geomorphic evidence of past secondary faulting. Distant active faults, potentially susceptible to sympathetic triggering, should be zoned as separate principal faults. The entire database of distributed ruptures (including B-M, F-S and Sy fault ruptures) can be useful in poorly known areas, in order to assess the extent of the area within which potential sources of fault displacement hazard can be present. The results from this study and the database made available in the Supplement can be used for improving the attenuation relationships for distributed faulting, with possible applications in probabilistic studies of fault displacement hazard.

Synthetic velocity gradient map of the San Francisco Bay region, California, supports use of average block velocities to estimate fault slip rate where effective locking depth is small relative to inter-fault distance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graymer, R. W.; Simpson, R. W.

2014-12-01

Graymer and Simpson (2013, AGU Fall Meeting) showed that in a simple 2D multi-fault system (vertical, parallel, strike-slip faults bounding blocks without strong material property contrasts) slip rate on block-bounding faults can be reasonably estimated by the difference between the mean velocity of adjacent blocks if the ratio of the effective locking depth to the distance between the faults is 1/3 or less ("effective" locking depth is a synthetic parameter taking into account actual locking depth, fault creep, and material properties of the fault zone). To check the validity of that observation for a more complex 3D fault system and a realistic distribution of observation stations, we developed a synthetic suite of GPS velocities from a dislocation model, with station location and fault parameters based on the San Francisco Bay region. Initial results show that if the effective locking depth is set at the base of the seismogenic zone (about 12-15 km), about 1/2 the interfault distance, the resulting synthetic velocity observations, when clustered, do a poor job of returning the input fault slip rates. However, if the apparent locking depth is set at 1/2 the distance to the base of the seismogenic zone, or about 1/4 the interfault distance, the synthetic velocity field does a good job of returning the input slip rates except where the fault is in a strong restraining orientation relative to block motion or where block velocity is not well defined (for example west of the northern San Andreas Fault where there are no observations to the west in the ocean). The question remains as to where in the real world a low effective locking depth could usefully model fault behavior. Further tests are planned to define the conditions where average cluster-defined block velocities can be used to reliably estimate slip rates on block-bounding faults. These rates are an important ingredient in earthquake hazard estimation, and another tool to provide them should be useful.

Real-time Estimation of Fault Rupture Extent for Recent Large Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, M.; Mori, J. J.

2009-12-01

Current earthquake early warning systems assume point source models for the rupture. However, for large earthquakes, the fault rupture length can be of the order of tens to hundreds of kilometers, and the prediction of ground motion at a site requires the approximated knowledge of the rupture geometry. Early warning information based on a point source model may underestimate the ground motion at a site, if a station is close to the fault but distant from the epicenter. We developed an empirical function to classify seismic records into near-source (NS) or far-source (FS) records based on the past strong motion records (Yamada et al., 2007). Here, we defined the near-source region as an area with a fault rupture distance less than 10km. If we have ground motion records at a station, the probability that the station is located in the near-source region is; P = 1/(1+exp(-f)) f = 6.046log10(Za) + 7.885log10(Hv) - 27.091 where Za and Hv denote the peak values of the vertical acceleration and horizontal velocity, respectively. Each observation provides the probability that the station is located in near-source region, so the resolution of the proposed method depends on the station density. The information of the fault rupture location is a group of points where the stations are located. However, for practical purposes, the 2-dimensional configuration of the fault is required to compute the ground motion at a site. In this study, we extend the methodology of NS/FS classification to characterize 2-dimensional fault geometries and apply them to strong motion data observed in recent large earthquakes. We apply a cosine-shaped smoothing function to the probability distribution of near-source stations, and convert the point fault location to 2-dimensional fault information. The estimated rupture geometry for the 2007 Niigata-ken Chuetsu-oki earthquake 10 seconds after the origin time is shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, we illustrate our method with strong motion data of the 2007 Noto-hanto earthquake, 2008 Iwate-Miyagi earthquake, and 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The on-going rupture extent can be estimated for all datasets as the rupture propagates. For earthquakes with magnitude about 7.0, the determination of the fault parameters converges to the final geometry within 10 seconds.

The role of post-collisional strike-slip tectonics in the geological evolution of the late Neoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary Guaratubinha Basin, southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barão, Leonardo M.; Trzaskos, Barbara; Vesely, Fernando F.; de Castro, Luís Gustavo; Ferreira, Francisco J. F.; Vasconcellos, Eleonora M. G.; Barbosa, Tiago C.

2017-12-01

The Guaratubinha Basin is a late Neoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary basin included in the transitional-stage basins of the South American Platform. The aim of this study is to investigate its tectonic evolution through a detailed structural analysis based on remote sensing and field data. The structural and aerogeophysics data indicate that at least three major deformational events affected the basin. Event E1 caused the activation of the two main basin-bounding fault zones, the Guaratubinha Master Fault and the Guaricana Shear Zone. These structures, oriented N20-45E, are associated with well-defined right-lateral to oblique vertical faults, conjugate normal faults and vertical flow structures. Progressive transtensional deformation along the two main fault systems was the main mechanism for basin formation and the deposition of thick coarse-grained deposits close to basin-borders. The continuous opening of the basin provided intense intermediate and acid magmatism as well as deposition of volcaniclastic sediments. Event E2 characterizes generalized compression, recorded as minor thrust faults with tectonic transport toward the northwest and left-lateral activation of the NNE-SSW Palmital Shear Zone. Event E3 is related to the Mesozoic tectonism associated with the South Atlantic opening, which generated diabase dykes and predominantly right-lateral strike-slip faults oriented N10-50W. Its rhomboidal geometry with long axis parallel to major Precambrian shear zones, the main presence of high-angle, strike-slip or oblique faults, the asymmetric distribution of geological units and field evidence for concomitant Neoproterozoic magmatism and strike-slip movements are consistent with pull-apart basins reported in the literature.

Dynamics of folding: Impact of fault bend folds on earthquake cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sathiakumar, S.; Barbot, S.; Hubbard, J.

2017-12-01

Earthquakes in subduction zones and subaerial convergent margins are some of the largest in the world. So far, forecasts of future earthquakes have primarily relied on assessing past earthquakes to look for seismic gaps and slip deficits. However, the roles of fault geometry and off-fault plasticity are typically overlooked. We use structural geology (fault-bend folding theory) to inform fault modeling in order to better understand how deformation is accommodated on the geological time scale and through the earthquake cycle. Fault bends in megathrusts, like those proposed for the Nepal Himalaya, will induce folding of the upper plate. This introduces changes in the slip rate on different fault segments, and therefore on the loading rate at the plate interface, profoundly affecting the pattern of earthquake cycles. We develop numerical simulations of slip evolution under rate-and-state friction and show that this effect introduces segmentation of the earthquake cycle. In crustal dynamics, it is challenging to describe the dynamics of fault-bend folds, because the deformation is accommodated by small amounts of slip parallel to bedding planes ("flexural slip"), localized on axial surface, i.e. folding axes pinned to fault bends. We use dislocation theory to describe the dynamics of folding along these axial surfaces, using analytic solutions that provide displacement and stress kernels to simulate the temporal evolution of folding and assess the effects of folding on earthquake cycles. Studies of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, Nepal, have shown that fault geometry can affect earthquake segmentation. Here, we show that in addition to the fault geometry, the actual geology of the rocks in the hanging wall of the fault also affect critical parameters, including the loading rate on parts of the fault, based on fault-bend folding theory. Because loading velocity controls the recurrence time of earthquakes, these two effects together are likely to have a strong impact on the earthquake cycle.

Linkages and feedbacks in orogenic systems: An introduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thigpen, J. Ryan; Law, Richard D.; Merschat, Arthur J.; Stowell, Harold

2017-01-01

Orogenic processes operate at scales ranging from the lithosphere to grain-scale, and are inexorably linked. For example, in many orogens, fault and shear zone architecture controls distribution of heat advection along faults and also acts as the primary mechanism for redistribution of heat-producing material. This sets up the thermal structure of the orogen, which in turn controls lithospheric rheology, the nature and distribution of deformation and strain localization, and ultimately, through localized mechanical strengthening and weakening, the fundamental shape of the developing orogenic wedge (Fig. 1). Strain localization establishes shear zone and fault geometry, and it is the motion on these structures, in conjunction with climate, that often focuses erosional and exhumational processes. This climatic focusing effect can even drive development of asymmetry at the scale of the entire wedge (Willett et al., 1993).

Spatial variation of slip behavior beneath the Alaska Peninsula along Alaska-Aleutian Subduction Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S.; Freymueller, J. T.

2017-12-01

The Alaska Peninsula, including the Shumagin and Semidi segments in the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone, is one of the best places in the world to study along-strike variations in the seismogenic zone. Understanding the cause of along-strike variations on the plate interface and seismic potential is significant for better understanding of the dynamic mechanical properties of faults and the rheology of the lower crust and lithospheric mantle in subduction zones. GPS measurements can be used to study these properties and estimate the slip deficit distribution on the plate interface. We re-surveyed pre-existing (1992-2001) campaign GPS sites in 2016 and estimated a new dense and highly precise GPS velocity field for the Alaska Peninsula. We find evidence for only minimal time variations in the slip distribution in the region. We used the TDEFNODE software package to invert for the slip deficit distribution from the new velocities. There are long-wavelength systematic misfits to the vertical velocities from the optimal model that fits the horizontal velocities well, which cannot be explained by altering the slip distribution on the subduction plate interface. Possible explanations for the systematic misfit are still under investigation since the plate geometry, GIA effect and reference frame errors do not explain the misfits. In this study, we use only the horizontal velocities. We divided the overall Alaska Peninsula area into three sub-areas, which have strong differences in the pattern of the observed deformation, and explored optimal models for each sub-area. The width of the locked region decreases step-wise from NE to SW along strike. Then we compared each of these models to all of the data to identify the locations of the along-strike boundaries that mark the transition from strongly to weakly coupled segments of the margin. We identified three sharp boundaries separating segments with different fault slip deficit rate distributions. Significant change in fault coupling from strong to weak are spatially correlated with the change in pre-existing plate fabric caused by cessation of the Kula-Pacific spreading and reorientation of the northern section of Farallon-Pacific spreading, which also correlate with changes in the degree of outer rise normal faulting and hydration of the downgoing plate.

Determination of tectonic shortening rates from progressively deformed flights of terraces above the Chelungpu and Changhua thrust ramps, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, L.; Suppe, J.

2007-12-01

The Chelungpu and Changhua thrust ramps in central Taiwan show contrasting hanging-wall structural geometries that suggest different kinematics, even though they involve the same stratigraphic section and basal detachment. The Chelungpu thrust shows a classic fault-bend folding geometry, which predicts folding solely by kink-band migration, whereas the hanging wall of the Changhua thrust demonstrates the characteristic geometry of a shear fault-bend folding, which predicts a progressive limb rotation with minor kink-band migration. We test the kinematic predictions of classic and shear fault-bend folding theories by analyzing deformed flights of terraces and coseismic displacements in the Mw=7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake. The Chelungpu terraces shows differences in uplift magnitudes across active axial surfaces that closely approximate the assumptions of classical fault-bend folding, including constant fault-parallel displacement, implying conservation of bed length, and hanging-wall uplift rates that are proportional to the sine of the fault dip. This provides a basis for precise determination of total fault slip since the formation of each terrace and combined with terrace dating gives long- term fault-slip rates for the Chelungpu thrust system. An estimation of the long term fault-slip rate of the Chelungpu thrust in the north Hsinshe terrace yields 15 mm/yr over the last 55 ka, which is similar to the combined shortening rate of 16 mm/y on the Chelungpu and Chushiang thrusts in the south estimated by Simoes et al. in 2006. Evan the coseismic displacements of 3 to 9m in the Chi-Chi earthquake are approximately fault-parallel but have additional transient components that are averaged out over the timescale of terrace deformation, which represents 10-100 large earthquakes. In contrast, terrace deformation in the hanging wall of the Changhua thrust ramp shows progressive limb rotation, as predicted from its shear fault-bend folding geometry, which combined with terrace dating allows an estimation of the long term fault-slip rate of 21 mm/yr over the last 31 ka. A combined shortening rate of 37 mm/yr is obtained for this part of the western Taiwan thrust belt, which is about 45 percent of the total plate-tectonic shortening rate across Taiwan. The Changhua shear fault-bend fold ramp is in the early stages of its development with only 1.7km total displacement whereas the Chelungpu classical fault-bend folding ramp in the same stratigraphy has nearly an order of magnitude more displacement (~14 km). We suggest that shear fault-bend folding may be favored mechanically at low displacement, whereas classical fault-bend folding would be favored at large displacement.

Determination of tectonic shortening rates from progressively deformed flights of terraces above the Chelungpu and Changhua thrust ramps, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, L.; Suppe, J.

2004-12-01

The Chelungpu and Changhua thrust ramps in central Taiwan show contrasting hanging-wall structural geometries that suggest different kinematics, even though they involve the same stratigraphic section and basal detachment. The Chelungpu thrust shows a classic fault-bend folding geometry, which predicts folding solely by kink-band migration, whereas the hanging wall of the Changhua thrust demonstrates the characteristic geometry of a shear fault-bend folding, which predicts a progressive limb rotation with minor kink-band migration. We test the kinematic predictions of classic and shear fault-bend folding theories by analyzing deformed flights of terraces and coseismic displacements in the Mw=7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake. The Chelungpu terraces shows differences in uplift magnitudes across active axial surfaces that closely approximate the assumptions of classical fault-bend folding, including constant fault-parallel displacement, implying conservation of bed length, and hanging-wall uplift rates that are proportional to the sine of the fault dip. This provides a basis for precise determination of total fault slip since the formation of each terrace and combined with terrace dating gives long- term fault-slip rates for the Chelungpu thrust system. An estimation of the long term fault-slip rate of the Chelungpu thrust in the north Hsinshe terrace yields 15 mm/yr over the last 55 ka, which is similar to the combined shortening rate of 16 mm/y on the Chelungpu and Chushiang thrusts in the south estimated by Simoes et al. in 2006. Evan the coseismic displacements of 3 to 9m in the Chi-Chi earthquake are approximately fault-parallel but have additional transient components that are averaged out over the timescale of terrace deformation, which represents 10-100 large earthquakes. In contrast, terrace deformation in the hanging wall of the Changhua thrust ramp shows progressive limb rotation, as predicted from its shear fault-bend folding geometry, which combined with terrace dating allows an estimation of the long term fault-slip rate of 21 mm/yr over the last 31 ka. A combined shortening rate of 37 mm/yr is obtained for this part of the western Taiwan thrust belt, which is about 45 percent of the total plate-tectonic shortening rate across Taiwan. The Changhua shear fault-bend fold ramp is in the early stages of its development with only 1.7km total displacement whereas the Chelungpu classical fault-bend folding ramp in the same stratigraphy has nearly an order of magnitude more displacement (~14 km). We suggest that shear fault-bend folding may be favored mechanically at low displacement, whereas classical fault-bend folding would be favored at large displacement.

Complex fragmentation and silicification structures in fault zones: quartz crystallization and repeated fragmentation in the Rusey fault zone (Cornwall/UK)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yilmaz, Tim I.; Blenkinsop, Tom; Duschl, Florian; Kruhl, Jörn H.

2015-04-01

Silicified fault rocks typically show structures resulting from various stages of fragmentation and quartz crystallization. Both processes interact episodically and result in complex structures on various scales, which require a wide spectrum of analysis tools. Based on field and microstructural data, the spatial-temporal connection between deformation, quartz crystallization and fluid and material flow along the Rusey fault zone was investigated. The fault can be examined in detail in three dimensions on the north Cornwall coast, UK. It occurs within Carboniferous sandstones, siltstones, mudstones and slates of the Culm basin, and is likely to have had a long history. The fault rocks described here formed during the younger events, possibly due to Tertiary strike-slip reactivation. Frequent fragmentation, flow and crystallization events and their interaction led to various generations of complex-structured quartz units, among them quartz-mantled and partly silicified wall-rock fragments, microcrystalline quartz masses of different compositions and structures, and quartz vein patterns of various ages. Lobate boundaries of quartz masses indicate viscous flow. Fragments are separated by quartz infill, which contains cm-sized open pores, in which quartz crystals have pyramidal terminations. Based on frequent occurrence of feathery textures and the infill geometry, quartz crystallization from chalcedony appears likely, and an origin from silica gel is discussed. Fragmentation structures are generally fractal. This allows differentiation between various processes, such as corrosive wear, wear abrasion and hydraulic brecciation. Material transport along the brittle shear zone, and displacement of the wall-rocks, were at least partly governed by flow of mobile fluid-quartz-particle suspensions. The complex meso- to microstructures were generated by repeated processes of fragmentation, quartz precipitation and grain growth. In general, the brittle Rusey fault zone represents a zone of multiple fragmentation, fluid flow, crystallization and quartz dissolution and precipitation, and is regarded as key example of large-scale cyclic interaction of these processes. The geological evidence of interactions between processes implies that feedbacks and highly non-linear mechanical behaviour generated the complex meso- and microstructures. The fault zone rheology may also therefore have been complex.

Constraints on Shallow Crustal Structure across the San Andreas Fault Zone, Coachella Valley, Southern California: Results from the Salton Seismic Imaging Project (SSIP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, A.; Persaud, P.; Bauer, K.; Stock, J. M.; Fuis, G. S.; Hole, J. A.; Goldman, M.

2015-12-01

The strong influence of basin structure and crustal heterogeneities on seismic wave propagation suggests that these factors should be included in calculations of strong ground shaking. Knowledge of the shallow subsurface is thus essential for an accurate seismic hazard estimate for the densely populated Coachella Valley, the region north of the potential M7.8 rupture near the Salton Sea. Using SSIP data, we analyzed first arrivals from nine 65-911 kg explosive shots recorded along a profile in the Coachella Valley in order to evaluate the interpretation of our 2D tomographic results and give added details on the structural complexity of the shallow crust. The line extends 37 km from the Peninsular Ranges to the Little San Bernardino Mountains crossing the major strands of the San Andreas Fault Zone. We fit traveltime curves to our picks with forward modeling ray tracing, and determined 1D P-wave velocity models for traveltime arrivals east and west of each shot, and a 2D model for the line. We also inferred the geometry of near-vertical faults from the pre-stack line migration method of Bauer et al. (2013). In general, the 1D models east of individual shots have deeper basement contacts and lower apparent velocities, ~5 km/s at 4 km depth, whereas the models west of individual shots have shallower basement and velocities up to 6 km/s at 2 km depth. Mismatches in basement depths (assuming 5-6 km/s) between individual 1D models indicate a shallowly dipping basement, deepening eastward towards the Banning Fault and shoaling abruptly farther east. An east-dipping structure in the 2D model also gives a better fit than horizontal layers. Based on high velocity zones derived from traveltimes at 9-20 km from the western end of the line, we included an offset from ~2 km to 4 km depth near the middle of the line, which significantly improved the 2D model fit. If fault-related, this offset could represent the Garnet Hill Fault if it continues southward in the subsurface.

Crustal structure and fault geometry of the 2010 Haiti earthquake from temporary seismometer deployments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Douilly, Roby; Haase, Jennifer S.; Ellsworth, William L.; Bouin, Marie‐Paule; Calais, Eric; Symithe, Steeve J.; Armbruster, John G.; Mercier de Lépinay, Bernard; Deschamps, Anne; Mildor, Saint‐Louis; Meremonte, Mark E.; Hough, Susan E.

2013-01-01

Haiti has been the locus of a number of large and damaging historical earthquakes. The recent 12 January 2010 Mw 7.0 earthquake affected cities that were largely unprepared, which resulted in tremendous losses. It was initially assumed that the earthquake ruptured the Enriquillo Plantain Garden fault (EPGF), a major active structure in southern Haiti, known from geodetic measurements and its geomorphic expression to be capable of producing M 7 or larger earthquakes. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data, however, showed that the event ruptured a previously unmapped fault, the Léogâne fault, a north‐dipping oblique transpressional fault located immediately north of the EPGF. Following the earthquake, several groups installed temporary seismic stations to record aftershocks, including ocean‐bottom seismometers on either side of the EPGF. We use data from the complete set of stations deployed after the event, on land and offshore, to relocate all aftershocks from 10 February to 24 June 2010, determine a 1D regional crustal velocity model, and calculate focal mechanisms. The aftershock locations from the combined dataset clearly delineate the Léogâne fault, with a geometry close to that inferred from geodetic data. Its strike and dip closely agree with the global centroid moment tensor solution of the mainshock but with a steeper dip than inferred from previous finite fault inversions. The aftershocks also delineate a structure with shallower southward dip offshore and to the west of the rupture zone, which could indicate triggered seismicity on the offshore Trois Baies reverse fault. We use first‐motion focal mechanisms to clarify the relationship of the fault geometry to the triggered aftershocks.

Structural style and hydrocarbon trap of Karbasi anticline, in the Interior Fars region, Zagros, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maleki, Z.; Arian, M.; Solgi, A.

2014-07-01

Karbasi anticline between west-northwest parts of Jahrom town is located in northwest 40 km distance of Aghar gas anticline in interior Fars region. This anticline has asymmetric structure and some faults with large strike separation observed in its structure. The operation of Nezamabad sinistral strike slip fault in west part of this anticline caused fault plunge change in this region. Because of complication increasing of structures geometry in Fars region and necessity to exploration activities for deeper horizons especially the Paleozoic ones, the analysis of fold style elements, which is known as one of the main parts in structural studies seems necessary. In this paper because of some reasons such as Karbasi anticline structural complication, importance of drilling and hydrocarbon explorations in Fars region, it is proceed to analysis and evaluation of fold style elements and geometry with emphasis on Nezamabad fault operation in Interior Fars region. According to fold style elements analysis results, it became clear that in east part of anticline the type of fold horizontal moderately inclined and in west part it is upright moderately plunging, so west evaluation of anticline is affected by more deformation. In this research the relationship present faults especially the Nezamabad sinistral strike slip one with folding and its affection on Dehram horizon and Bangestan group were modeled. Based on received results may be the Nezamabad fault is located between G-G' and E-E' structural sections and this fault in this area operated same as fault zone. In different parts of Karbasi anticline, Dashtak formation as a middle detachment unit plays an important role in connection to folding geometry, may be which is affected by Nezamabad main fault.

The influence of normal fault geometry on porous sandstone deformation: Insights from mechanical models into conditions leading to Coulomb failure and shear-enhanced compaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allison, K.; Reinen, L. A.

2011-12-01

Slip on non-planar faults produces stress perturbations in the surrounding host rock that can yield secondary faults at a scale too small to be resolved on seismic surveys. Porosity changes during failure may affect the ability of the rock to transmit fluids through dilatant cracking or, in porous rocks, shear-enhanced compaction (i.e., cataclastic flow). Modeling the mechanical behavior of the host rock in response to slip on non-planar faults can yield insights into the role of fault geometry on regions of enhanced or inhibited fluid flow. To evaluate the effect of normal fault geometry on deformation in porous sandstones, we model the system as a linear elastic, homogeneous, whole or half space using the boundary-element modeling program Poly3D. We consider conditions leading to secondary deformation using the maximum Coulomb shear stress (MCSS) as an index of brittle deformation and proximity to an elliptical yield envelope (Y), determined experimentally for porous sandstone (Baud et al., JGR, 2006), for cataclastic flow. We model rectangular faults consisting of two segments: an upper leg with a constant dip of 60° and a lower leg with dips ranging 15-85°. We explore far-field stress models of constant and gradient uniaxial strain. We investigate the potential damage in the host rock in two ways: [1] the size of the damage zone, and [2] regions of enhanced deformation indicated by elevated MCSS or Y. Preliminary results indicate that, along a vertical transect passing through the fault kink, [1] the size of the damage zone increases in the footwall with increasing lower leg dip and remains constant in the hanging wall. [2] In the footwall, the amount of deformation does not change as a function of lower leg dip in constant stress models; in gradient stress models, both MCSS and Y increase with dip. In the hanging wall, Y decreases with increasing lower leg dip for both constant and gradient stress models. In contrast, MCSS increases: as lower leg dip increases for constant stress models, and as the difference between lower leg dip and 60° increases for gradient stress models. These preliminary results indicate that the dip of the lower fault segment significantly affects the amount and style of deformation in the host rock.

Extensional tectonics during the igneous emplacement of the mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Barberton greenstone belt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewit, M. J.

1986-01-01

The simatic rocks (Onverwacht Group) of the Barberton greenstone belt are part of the Jamestown ophiolite complex. This ophiolite, together with its thick sedimentary cover occupies a complex thrust belt. Field studies have identified two types of early faults which are entirely confined to the simatic rocks and are deformed by the later thrusts and associated folds. The first type of fault (F1a) is regional and always occurs in the simatic rocks along and parallel to the lower contacts of the ophiolite-related cherts (Middle Marker and equivalent layers). These fault zones have previously been referred to both as flaser-banded gneisses and as weathering horizons. In general the zones range between 1-30m in thickness. Displacements along these zones are difficult to estimate, but may be in the order of 1-100 km. The structures indicate that the faults formed close to horizontal, during extensional shear and were therefore low angle normal faults. F1a zones overlap in age with the formation of the ophiolite complex. The second type of faults (F1b) are vertical brittle-ductile shear zones, which crosscut the complex at variable angles and cannot always be traced from plutonic to overlying extrusive (pillowed) simatic rocks. F1b zones are also apparently of penecontemporaneous origin with the intrusive-extrusive igneous processs. F1b zones may either represent transform fault-type activity or represent root zones (steepened extensions) of F1a zones. Both fault types indicate extensive deformation in the rocks of the greenstone belt prior to compressional overthrust tectonics.

Geometry and active tectonics of the Los Osos-Hosgri Fault Intersection in Estero Bay, CA: Reconciling seismicity patterns with near-surface geology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watt, J. T.; Hardebeck, J.; Johnson, S. Y.; Kluesner, J.

2016-12-01

Characterizing active structures within structurally complex fault intersections is essential for unraveling the deformational history and for assessing the importance of fault intersections in regional earthquake hazard assessments. We employ an integrative, multi-scale geophysical approach to describe the 3D geometry and active tectonics of the offshore Los Osos fault (LOF) in Estero Bay, California. The shallow structure of the LOF, as imaged with multibeam and high-resolution seismic-reflection data, reveals a complex west-diverging zone of active faulting that bends into and joins the Hosgri fault. The down-dip geometry of the LOF as revealed by gravity, magnetic, and industry multi-channel seismic data, is vertical to steeply-dipping and varies along strike. As the LOF extends offshore, it is characterized by SW-side-up motion on a series of W-NW trending, steeply SW-dipping reverse faults. The LOF bends to the north ( 23°) as it approaches the Hosgri fault and dips steeply to the NE along a magnetic basement block. Inversion of earthquake focal mechanisms within Estero Bay yields maximum compressive stress axes that are near-horizontal and trend approximately N15E. This trend is consistent with dextral strike-slip faulting along NW-SE trending structures such as the Hosgri fault and northern LOF, and oblique dip-slip motion along the W-NW trending section of the LOF. Notably, NW-SE trending structures illuminated by seismicity in Estero Bay coincide with, but also appear to cross-cut, LOF structures imaged in the near-surface. We suggest this apparent disconnect reflects ongoing fault reorganization at a dynamic and inherently unstable fault intersection, in which the seismicity reflects active deformation at depth that is not clearly expressed in the near-surface geology. Direct connectivity between the Hosgri and Los Osos faults suggests a combined earthquake rupture is possible; however, the geometrical complexity along the offshore LOF may limit the extent of rupture.

Mixed linear-nonlinear fault slip inversion: Bayesian inference of model, weighting, and smoothing parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, J.; Johnson, K. M.

2009-12-01

Studies utilizing inversions of geodetic data for the spatial distribution of coseismic slip on faults typically present the result as a single fault plane and slip distribution. Commonly the geometry of the fault plane is assumed to be known a priori and the data are inverted for slip. However, sometimes there is not strong a priori information on the geometry of the fault that produced the earthquake and the data is not always strong enough to completely resolve the fault geometry. We develop a method to solve for the full posterior probability distribution of fault slip and fault geometry parameters in a Bayesian framework using Monte Carlo methods. The slip inversion problem is particularly challenging because it often involves multiple data sets with unknown relative weights (e.g. InSAR, GPS), model parameters that are related linearly (slip) and nonlinearly (fault geometry) through the theoretical model to surface observations, prior information on model parameters, and a regularization prior to stabilize the inversion. We present the theoretical framework and solution method for a Bayesian inversion that can handle all of these aspects of the problem. The method handles the mixed linear/nonlinear nature of the problem through combination of both analytical least-squares solutions and Monte Carlo methods. We first illustrate and validate the inversion scheme using synthetic data sets. We then apply the method to inversion of geodetic data from the 2003 M6.6 San Simeon, California earthquake. We show that the uncertainty in strike and dip of the fault plane is over 20 degrees. We characterize the uncertainty in the slip estimate with a volume around the mean fault solution in which the slip most likely occurred. Slip likely occurred somewhere in a volume that extends 5-10 km in either direction normal to the fault plane. We implement slip inversions with both traditional, kinematic smoothing constraints on slip and a simple physical condition of uniform stress drop.

3D geometry of a plate boundary fault related to the 2016 Off-Mie earthquake in the Nankai subduction zone, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuji, Takeshi; Minato, Shohei; Kamei, Rie; Tsuru, Tetsuro; Kimura, Gaku

2017-11-01

We used recent seismic data and advanced techniques to investigate 3D fault geometry over the transition from the partially coupled to the fully coupled plate interface inboard of the Nankai Trough off the Kii Peninsula, Japan. We found that a gently dipping plate boundary décollement with a thick underthrust layer extends beneath the entire Kumano forearc basin. The 1 April 2016 Off-Mie earthquake (Mw6.0) and its aftershocks occurred, where the plate boundary décollement steps down close to the oceanic crust surface. This location also lies beneath the trenchward edge of an older accretionary prism (∼14 Ma) developed along the coast of the Kii peninsula. The strike of the 2016 rupture plane was similar to that of a formerly active splay fault system in the accretionary prism. Thus, the fault planes of the 2016 earthquake and its aftershocks were influenced by the geometry of the plate interface as well as splay faulting. The 2016 earthquake occurred within the rupture area of large interplate earthquakes such as the 1944 Tonankai earthquake (Mw8.1), although the 2016 rupture area was much smaller than that of the 1944 event. Whereas the hypocenter of the 2016 earthquake was around the underplating sequence beneath the younger accretionary prism (∼6 Ma), the 1944 great earthquake hypocenter was close to oceanic crust surface beneath the older accretionary prism. The variation of fault geometry and lithology may influence the degree of coupling along the plate interface, and such coupling variation could hinder slip propagation toward the deeper plate interface in the 2016 event.

Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Robert G.; White, Robert S.; Greenfield, Tim

2014-01-01

Along mid-ocean ridges the extending crust is segmented on length scales of 10-1,000km. Where rift segments are offset from one another, motion between segments is accommodated by transform faults that are oriented orthogonally to the main rift axis. Where segments overlap, non-transform offsets with a variety of geometries accommodate shear motions. Here we use micro-seismic data to analyse the geometries of faults at two overlapping rift segments exposed on land in north Iceland. Between the rift segments, we identify a series of faults that are aligned sub-parallel to the orientation of the main rift. These faults slip through left-lateral strike-slip motion. Yet, movement between the overlapping rift segments is through right-lateral motion. Together, these motions induce a clockwise rotation of the faults and intervening crustal blocks in a motion that is consistent with a bookshelf-faulting mechanism, named after its resemblance to a tilting row of books on a shelf. The faults probably reactivated existing crustal weaknesses, such as dyke intrusions, that were originally oriented parallel to the main rift and have since rotated about 15° clockwise. Reactivation of pre-existing, rift-parallel weaknesses contrasts with typical mid-ocean ridge transform faults and is an important illustration of a non-transform offset accommodating shear motion between overlapping rift segments.

S-wave attenuation in northeastern Sonora, Mexico, near the faults that ruptured during the earthquake of 3 May 1887 Mw 7.5.

PubMed

Villalobos-Escobar, Gina P; Castro, Raúl R

2014-01-01

We used a new data set of relocated earthquakes recorded by the Seismic Network of Northeastern Sonora, Mexico (RESNES) to characterize the attenuation of S-waves in the fault zone of the 1887 Sonora earthquake (M w 7.5). We determined spectral attenuation functions for hypocentral distances (r) between 10 and 140 km using a nonparametric approach and found that in this fault zone the spectral amplitudes decay slower with distance at low frequencies (f < 4 Hz) compared to those reported in previous studies in the region using more distant recordings. The attenuation functions obtained for 23 frequencies (0.4 ≤ f ≤ 63.1 Hz) permit us estimating the average quality factor Q S  = (141 ± 1.1 )f ((0.74 ± 0.04)) and a geometrical spreading term G(r) = 1/r (0.21). The values of Q estimated for S-wave paths traveling along the fault system that rupture during the 1887 event, in the north-south direction, are considerably lower than the average Q estimated using source-station paths from multiple stations and directions. These results indicate that near the fault zone S waves attenuate considerably more than at regional scale, particularly at low frequencies. This may be the result of strong scattering near the faults due to the fractured upper crust and higher intrinsic attenuation due to stress concentration near the faults.

Structural architecture and petrophysical properties of the Rocca di Neto extensional fault zone developed in the shallow marine sediments of the Crotone Basin (Southern Apennines, Italy).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pizzati, Mattia; Balsamo, Fabrizio; Iacumin, Paola; Swennen, Rudy; Storti, Fabrizio

2017-04-01

In this contribution we describe the architecture and petrophysical properties of the Rocca di Neto extensional fault zone in loose and poorly lithified sediments, located in the Crotone forearc basin (south Italy). To this end, we combined fieldwork with microstructural observations, grain size analysis, and in situ permeability measurements. The studied fault zone has an estimated maximum displacement of 80-90 m and separates early Pleistocene age (Gelasian) sands in the footwall from middle Pleistocene (Calabrian) silty clay in the hangingwall. The analysed outcrop consists of about 70 m section through the fault zone mostly developed in the footwall block. Fault zone consists of four different structural domains characterized by distinctive features: (1) <1 m-thick fault core (where the majority of the displacement is accommodated) in which bedding is transposed into foliation imparted by grain preferential orientation and some black gouges decorate the main slip surfaces; (2) zone of tectonic mixing characterized by a set of closely spaced and anastomosed deformation bands parallel to the main slip surface; (3) about 8 m-thick footwall damage zone characterized by synthetic and antithetic sets of deformation bands; (4) zone of background deformation with a few, widely-spaced conjugate minor faults and deformation bands. The boundary between the relatively undeformed sediments and the damage zone is not sharp and it is characterized by a progressive decrease in deformation intensity. The silty clay in the hangingwall damage zone is characterized by minor faults. Grain size and microstructural data indicate that particulate flow with little amount of cataclasis is the dominant deformation mechanism in both fault core rocks and deformation bands. Permeability of undeformed sediments is about 70000 mD, whereas the permeability in deformation bands ranges from 1000 to 18000 mD; within the fault core rocks permeability is reduced up to 3-4 orders of magnitude respect to the undeformed domains. Structural and petrophysical data suggest that the Rocca di Neto fault zone may compartmentalize the footwall block due to both juxtaposition of clay-rich lithology in the hangingwall and the development of low permeability fault core rocks.

Geometry and kinematics of accretionary wedge faults inherited from the structure and rheology of the incoming sedimentary section; insights from 3D seismic reflection data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Rebecca; Orme, Haydn; Lenette, Kathryn; Jackson, Christopher; Fitch, Peter; Phillips, Thomas; Moore, Gregory

2017-04-01

Intra-wedge thrust faults represent important conduits for fluid flow in accretionary prisms, modulating pore fluid pressure, effective stress and, ultimately, the seismic hazard potential of convergent plate boundaries. Despite its importance, we know surprisingly little regarding the 3D geometry and kinematics of thrust networks in accretionary prisms, largely due to a lack of 3D seismic reflection data providing high-resolution, 3D images. To address this we here present observations from two subduction zones, the Nankai and Lesser Antilles margins, where 3D seismic and borehole data allow us to constrain the geometry and kinematics of intra-wedge fault networks and to thus shed light on the mechanisms responsible for their structural style variability. At the Muroto transect, Nankai margin we find that the style of protothrust zone deformation varies markedly along-strike over distances of only a few km. Using structural restoration and quantitative fault analysis, we reveal that in the northern part of the study area deformation occurred by buckle folding followed by faulting. Further south, intra-wedge faults nucleate above the décollement and propagate radially with no folding, resulting in variable connectivity between faults and the décollement. The seismic facies character of sediments immediately above the décollement varies along strike, with borehole data revealing that, in the north, where buckle folding dominates un-cemented Lower Shikoku Basin sediments overlie the décollement. In contrast, further south, Opal CT-cemented, and thus rigid Upper Shikoku Basin sediments overlie the décollement. We suggest these along-strike variations in diagenesis and thus rheology control the observed structural style variability. Near Barbados, at the Lesser Antilles margin, rough subducting plate relief is blanketed by up to 700 m of sediment. 3D seismic data reveal that basement relief is defined by linear normal fault blocks and volcanic ridges, and sub-circular seamounts. The youngest, most basinward thrusts in the wedge strike NW-SE; however, 17 km landward, towards the wedge core, they strike NE-SW. The orientation of the more landward faults correlates with the trend of linear basement relief, whereas thrust fault orientations close to the deformation front are perpendicular to the convergence direction. We notice that oceanic crust that has been subducted is characterised by NE-SW striking, now-inverted normal faults, with some faults extending up through the entire sedimentary section. We suggest that the NE-SW orientation of thrust faults has been inherited from linear basement ridges. In contrast, basement currently subducting beneath the deformation front is dominated by seamounts and is devoid of more linear features. Here, there are no pre-existing normal faults available for reactivation and thrust faults develop perpendicular to the convergence direction. We show that the incoming plate properties have a profound effect on the geometry of accretionary wedges; it would be difficult to elucidate this without 3D seismic data. Our insights provide new hypotheses that can be tested with numerical and laboratory models.

Back analysis of fault-slip in burst prone environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sainoki, Atsushi; Mitri, Hani S.

2016-11-01

In deep underground mines, stress re-distribution induced by mining activities could cause fault-slip. Seismic waves arising from fault-slip occasionally induce rock ejection when hitting the boundary of mine openings, and as a result, severe damage could be inflicted. In general, it is difficult to estimate fault-slip-induced ground motion in the vicinity of mine openings because of the complexity of the dynamic response of faults and the presence of geological structures. In this paper, a case study is conducted for a Canadian underground mine, herein called "Mine-A", which is known for its seismic activities. Using a microseismic database collected from the mine, a back analysis of fault-slip is carried out with mine-wide 3-dimensional numerical modeling. A back analysis is conducted to estimate the physical and mechanical properties of the causative fracture or shear zones. One large seismic event has been selected for the back analysis to detect a fault-slip related seismic event. In the back analysis, the shear zone properties are estimated with respect to moment magnitude of the seismic event and peak particle velocity (PPV) recorded by a strong ground motion sensor. The estimated properties are then validated through comparison with peak ground acceleration recorded by accelerometers. Lastly, ground motion in active mining areas is estimated by conducting dynamic analysis with the estimated values. The present study implies that it would be possible to estimate the magnitude of seismic events that might occur in the near future by applying the estimated properties to the numerical model. Although the case study is conducted for a specific mine, the developed methodology can be equally applied to other mines suffering from fault-slip related seismic events.

Simulating Large-Scale Earthquake Dynamic Rupture Scenarios On Natural Fault Zones Using the ADER-DG Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabriel, Alice; Pelties, Christian

2014-05-01

In this presentation we will demonstrate the benefits of using modern numerical methods to support physic-based ground motion modeling and research. For this purpose, we utilize SeisSol an arbitrary high-order derivative Discontinuous Galerkin (ADER-DG) scheme to solve the spontaneous rupture problem with high-order accuracy in space and time using three-dimensional unstructured tetrahedral meshes. We recently verified the method in various advanced test cases of the 'SCEC/USGS Dynamic Earthquake Rupture Code Verification Exercise' benchmark suite, including branching and dipping fault systems, heterogeneous background stresses, bi-material faults and rate-and-state friction constitutive formulations. Now, we study the dynamic rupture process using 3D meshes of fault systems constructed from geological and geophysical constraints, such as high-resolution topography, 3D velocity models and fault geometries. Our starting point is a large scale earthquake dynamic rupture scenario based on the 1994 Northridge blind thrust event in Southern California. Starting from this well documented and extensively studied event, we intend to understand the ground-motion, including the relevant high frequency content, generated from complex fault systems and its variation arising from various physical constraints. For example, our results imply that the Northridge fault geometry favors a pulse-like rupture behavior.

Complex permeability structure of a fault zone crosscutting a sequence of sandstones and shales and its influence on hydraulic head distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cilona, A.; Aydin, A.; Hazelton, G.

2013-12-01

Characterization of the structural architecture of a 5 km-long, N40°E-striking fault zone provides new insights for the interpretation of hydraulic heads measured across and along the fault. Of interest is the contaminant transport across a portion of the Upper Cretaceous Chatsworth Formation, a 1400 m-thick turbidite sequence of sandstones and shales exposed in the Simi Hills, south California. Local bedding consistently dips about 20° to 30° to NW. Participating hydrogeologists monitor the local groundwater system by means of numerous boreholes used to define the 3D distribution of the groundwater table around the fault. Sixty hydraulic head measurements consistently show differences of 10s of meters, except for a small area. In this presentation, we propose a link between this distribution and the fault zone architecture. Despite an apparent linear morphological trend, the fault is made up of at least three distinct segments named here as northern, central and southern segments. Key aspects of the fault zone architecture have been delineated at two sites. The first is an outcrop of the central segment and the second is a borehole intersecting the northern segment at depth. The first site shows the fault zone juxtaposing sandstones against shales. Here the fault zone consists of a 13 meter-wide fault rock including a highly deformed sliver of sandstone on the northwestern side. In the sandstone, shear offset was resolved along N42°E striking and SE dipping fracture surfaces localized within a 40 cm thick strand. Here the central core of the fault zone is 8 m-wide and contains mostly shale characterized by highly diffuse deformation. It shows a complex texture overprinted by N30°E-striking carbonate veins. At the southeastern edge of the fault zone exposure, a shale unit dipping 50° NW towards the fault zone provides the key information that the shale unit was incorporated into the fault zone in a manner consistent with shale smearing. At the second site, a borehole more than 194 meter-long intersects the fault zone at its bottom. Based on an optical televiewer image supplemented by limited recovered rock cores, a juxtaposition plane (dipping 75° SE) between a fractured sandstone and a highly-deformed shale fault rock has been interpreted as the southeastern boundary of the fault zone. The shale fault rock estimated to be thicker than 4 meters is highly folded and brecciated with locally complex cataclastic texture. The observations and interpretations of the fault architecture presented above suggest that the drop of hydraulic head detected across the fault segments is due primarily to the low-permeability shaly fault rock incorporated into the fault zone by a shale smearing mechanism. Interestingly, at around the step between the northern and the central fault segments, where the fault offset is expected to diminish (no hard link and no significant shaly fault rock), the groundwater levels measured on either sides of the fault zone are more-or-less equal.

Geometry of the 1954 Fairview Peak-Dixie Valley earthquake sequence from a joint inversion of leveling and triangulation data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hodgkinson, K.M.; Stein, R.S.; Marshall, G.

1996-01-01

In 1954, four earthquakes greater than Ms=6.0 occurred within a 30-km radius and in a period of 6 months. Elevation and angle changes calculated from repeated leveling and triangulation surveys which span the coseismic period provide constraints on the fault geometries and coseismic slip of the faults which were activated. The quality of the coseismic geodetic data is assessed. Corrections are applied to the leveling data for subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal in the Fallon area, and a rod miscalibration error of 150??30 ppm is isolated in leveling surveys made in 1967. The leveling and triangulation observations are then simultaneously inverted using the single value decomposition (SVD) inversion method to determine fault geometries and coseismic slip. Using SVD, it is possible to determine on which faults slip is resolvable given the data distribution. The faults are found to dip between 50?? and 80?? and extend to depths of 5 to 14 km. The geodetically derived slip values are generally equal to, or greater than, the maximum observed displacement along the surface scarps. Where slip is resolvable the geodetic data indicates the 1954 sequence contained a significant component of right-lateral slip. This is consistent with the N15??W trending shear zone which geodetic surveys have detected in western Nevada. Copyright 1996 by the American Geophysical Union.

Preliminary potential-field constraints on the geometry of the San Fernando basin, Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Griscom, Andrew; Jachens, R.C.; Hildenbrand, T.G.

2000-01-01

Gravity and magnetic data provide new insights on the structural underpinnings of the San Fernando Basin region, which may be important to ground motion models. Gravity data indicate that a deep basin (>5 km) underlies the northern part of the San Fernando Valley; this deep basin is required to explain the lowest gravity values over the Mission Hills thrust fault. Gravity modeling, constrained by well data and density information, shows that the basin may reach a thickness of 8 km, coinciding with the upper termination of the 1994 Northridge earthquake mainshock rupture. The basin is deeper than previous estimates by 2 to 4 km; this estimate is the result of high densities for the gravels of the Pliocene-Pleisocene Saugus Formation. The geometry of the southern margin of the deep basin is not well-constrained by the gravity data, but may dip to the south. Recently acquired seismic data along the LARSE (Los Angeles Regional Seismic Experiment) II profile may provide constraints to determine the location and attitude of the basin edge. Gravity and aeromagnetic models across the eastern margin of the San Fernando Valley indicate that the Verdugo fault may dip to the southwest along its southern extent and therefore have a normal fault geometry whereas it clearly has a thrust fault geometry along its northern strand.

Paleoseismology of the Southern Section of the Black Mountains and Southern Death Valley Fault Zones, Death Valley, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sohn, Marsha S.; Knott, Jeffrey R.; Mahan, Shannon

2014-01-01

The Death Valley Fault System (DVFS) is part of the southern Walker Lane–eastern California shear zone. The normal Black Mountains Fault Zone (BMFZ) and the right-lateral Southern Death Valley Fault Zone (SDVFZ) are two components of the DVFS. Estimates of late Pleistocene-Holocene slip rates and recurrence intervals for these two fault zones are uncertain owing to poor relative age control. The BMFZ southernmost section (Section 1W) steps basinward and preserves multiple scarps in the Quaternary alluvial fans. We present optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates ranging from 27 to 4 ka of fluvial and eolian sand lenses interbedded with alluvial-fan deposits offset by the BMFZ. By cross-cutting relations, we infer that there were three separate ground-rupturing earthquakes on BMFZ Section 1W with vertical displacement between 5.5 m and 2.75 m. The slip-rate estimate is ∼0.2 to 1.8 mm/yr, with an earthquake recurrence interval of 4,500 to 2,000 years. Slip-per-event measurements indicate Mw 7.0 to 7.2 earthquakes. The 27–4-ka OSL-dated alluvial fans also overlie the putative Cinder Hill tephra layer. Cinder Hill is offset ∼213 m by SDVFZ, which yields a tentative slip rate of 1 to 8 mm/yr for the SDVFZ.

Off-fault plasticity in three-dimensional dynamic rupture simulations using a modal Discontinuous Galerkin method on unstructured meshes: Implementation, verification, and application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollherr, Stephanie; Gabriel, Alice-Agnes; Uphoff, Carsten

2018-05-01

The dynamics and potential size of earthquakes depend crucially on rupture transfers between adjacent fault segments. To accurately describe earthquake source dynamics, numerical models can account for realistic fault geometries and rheologies such as nonlinear inelastic processes off the slip interface. We present implementation, verification, and application of off-fault Drucker-Prager plasticity in the open source software SeisSol (www.seissol.org). SeisSol is based on an arbitrary high-order derivative modal Discontinuous Galerkin (ADER-DG) method using unstructured, tetrahedral meshes specifically suited for complex geometries. Two implementation approaches are detailed, modelling plastic failure either employing sub-elemental quadrature points or switching to nodal basis coefficients. At fine fault discretizations the nodal basis approach is up to 6 times more efficient in terms of computational costs while yielding comparable accuracy. Both methods are verified in community benchmark problems and by three dimensional numerical h- and p-refinement studies with heterogeneous initial stresses. We observe no spectral convergence for on-fault quantities with respect to a given reference solution, but rather discuss a limitation to low-order convergence for heterogeneous 3D dynamic rupture problems. For simulations including plasticity, a high fault resolution may be less crucial than commonly assumed, due to the regularization of peak slip rate and an increase of the minimum cohesive zone width. In large-scale dynamic rupture simulations based on the 1992 Landers earthquake, we observe high rupture complexity including reverse slip, direct branching, and dynamic triggering. The spatio-temporal distribution of rupture transfers are altered distinctively by plastic energy absorption, correlated with locations of geometrical fault complexity. Computational cost increases by 7% when accounting for off-fault plasticity in the demonstrating application. Our results imply that the combination of fully 3D dynamic modelling, complex fault geometries, and off-fault plastic yielding is important to realistically capture dynamic rupture transfers in natural fault systems.

Tectono-stratigraphic evolution of normal fault zones: Thal Fault Zone, Suez Rift, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leppard, Christopher William

The evolution of linkage of normal fault populations to form continuous, basin bounding normal fault zones is recognised as an important control on the stratigraphic evolution of rift-basins. This project aims to investigate the temporal and spatial evolution of normal fault populations and associated syn-rift deposits from the initiation of early-formed, isolated normal faults (rift-initiation) to the development of a through-going fault zone (rift-climax) by documenting the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Sarbut EI Gamal segment of the exceptionally well-exposed Thai fault zone, Suez Rift, Egypt. A number of dated stratal surfaces mapped around the syn-rift depocentre of the Sarbut El Gamal segment allow constraints to be placed on the timing and style of deformation, and the spatial variability of facies along this segment of the fault zone. Data collected indicates that during the first 3.5 My of rifting the structural style was characterised by numerous, closely spaced, short (< 3 km), low displacement (< 200 m) synthetic and antithetic normal faults within 1 - 2 km of the present-day fault segment trace, accommodating surface deformation associated with the development of a fault propagation monocline above the buried, pre-cursor strands of the Sarbut El Gamal fault segment. The progressive localisation of displacement onto the fault segment during rift-climax resulted in the development of a major, surface-breaking fault 3.5 - 5 My after the onset of rifting and is recorded by the death of early-formed synthetic and antithetic faults up-section, and thickening of syn-rift strata towards the fault segment. The influence of intrabasinal highs at the tips of the Sarbut EI Gamal fault segment on the pre-rift sub-crop level, combined with observations from the early-formed structures and coeval deposits suggest that the overall length of the fault segment was fixed from an early stage. The fault segment is interpreted to have grown through rapid lateral propagation and early linkage of the precursor fault strands at depth before the fault segment broke surface, followed by the accumulation of displacement on the linked fault segment with minimal lateral propagation. This style of fault growth contrasts conventional fault growth models by which growth occurs through incremental increases in both displacement and length through time. The evolution of normal fault populations and fault zones exerts a first- order control on basin physiography and sediment supply, and therefore, the architecture and distribution of coeval syn-rift stratigraphy. The early syn-rift continental, Abu Zenima Formation, to shallow marine, Nukhul Formation show a pronounced westward increase in thickness controlled by the series of synthetic and antithetic faults up to 3 km west of present day Thai fault. The orientation of these faults controlled the location of fluvial conglomerates, sandstones and mudstones that shifted to the topographic lows created. The progressive localisation of displacement onto the Sarbut El Gamal fault segment during rift-climax resulted in an overall change in basin geometry. Accelerated subsidence rates led to sedimentation rates being outpaced by subsidence resulting in the development of a marine, sediment-starved, underfilled hangingwall depocentre characterised by slope-to-basinal depositional environments, with a laterally continuous slope apron in the immediate hangingwall, and point-sourced submarine fans. Controls on the spatial distribution, three dimensional architecture, and facies stacking patterns of coeval syn-rift deposits are identified as: I) structural style of the evolution and linkage of normal fault populations, ii) basin physiography, iii) evolution of drainage catchments, iv) bedrock lithology, and v) variations in sea/lake level.

Mapping offshore portions of the Khlong Marui and Ranong faults in Thailand: Implications for seismic hazards in the Thai peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, H.; Furlong, K.; Pananont, P.; Krastel, S.; Nhongkai, S. N.

2017-12-01

Thailand experiences Mw < 6.5 earthquakes, but the frequency of these earthquakes is considerably less within Thailand than at plate boundaries. Faults in Thailand that are potentially active, but have not historically hosted a large earthquake pose an unknown seismic hazard. Two such faults are the Khlong Marui and Ranong faults, which are left lateral strike-slip faults that strike northeast across the Thai peninsula and have been assumed to continue into the Andaman Sea. The Ranong and Khlong Marui fault zones have clear surface expression onshore, but their offshore extent is unknown. An estimated 100 km of sinistral displacement has occurred in the last 52 million years on the Ranong fault zone and the Khlong Marui fault zone is assumed to be similar (Watkinson et al., 2008; Kornsawan and Morley, 2002). Five Mw < 4.5 earthquakes have occurred near the inferred offshore extension of the Ranong and Khlong Marui faults since 2005. However, the maximum earthquake magnitude possible and recurrence interval of events on these faults is unconstrained, leaving southern Thailand unprepared for a Mw < 6 earthquake. To constrain the location of offshore portion of these two faults we performed a marine seismic reflection survey in the Andaman Sea, and construct an offshore fault map. Additionally, we are working to resolve the depth extent of displacement associated with faulting in the seismic data to constrain the timing of fault motion. Using empirical scaling between fault area and earthquake size we will be able to estimate a maximum earthquake magnitude for the Ranong and Khlong Marui faults. This will provide additional information to help southern Thailand prepare for potential seismic events. Kornsawan, A., & Morley, C. K. (2002). The origin and evolution of complex transfer zones (graben shifts) in conjugate fault systems around the Funan Field, Pattani Basin, Gulf of Thailand. Journal of Structural Geology, 24(3), 435-449. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0191- 8141(01)00080-3 Watkinson, I., Elders, C., & Hall, R. (2008). The kinematic history of the Khlong Marui and Ranong Faults, southern Thailand. Journal of Structural Geology, 30, 1554-1571. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2008.09.001

Structural Evolution of central part of the Tuzgolu (Salt Lake) Basin, Central Anatolia, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ada, M.; Cemen, I.; Çaptuğ, A.; Demirci, M.; Engin, C.

2017-12-01

The Tuzgolu Basin in Central Anatolia, Turkey, covers low-relief areas located between the Pontide Mountains to the North and Tauride Mountains to the South. The basin started to form as a rift basin during the Late Maastrichtian. The main Tuzgolu-Aksaray fault zone on the eastern margin of the basin and the northwest trending Yeniceoba and Cihanbeyli fault zones on the western margin of the basin were probably developed during that time. The basin has also experienced westward extension in response to westward escape of the Anatolian plate since Late Miocene. Several geologic studies have been conducted in the Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake) Basin and surrounding areas to determine structural and tectono-stratigraphic development of the basin. However, there are still many questions regarding the structural evolution of the basin. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the structural evolution of the central Tuzgolu Basin based on the structural interpretation of available 2-D seismic reflection profiles, well log analysis and construction of structural cross sections. The cross-sections will be based on depth converted seismic lines to determine structural geometry of the faults and folds. A preliminary Petrel project has been prepared using available seismic profiles. Our preliminary structural interpretations suggest that a well-developed rollover anticline was developed with respect to the westward extension in Central Anatolia. The rollover anticline is faulted in its crest area by both down-to-the west and down-to-the east normal faults. The geometry of the main boundary fault at depth still remains in question. We anticipate that this question will be resolved based on depth converted structural cross-sections and their restoration.

Three-dimensional characterization of microporosity and permeability in fault zones hosted in heterolithic succession

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riegel, H. B.; Zambrano, M.; Jablonska, D.; Emanuele, T.; Agosta, F.; Mattioni, L.; Rustichelli, A.

2017-12-01

The hydraulic properties of fault zones depend upon the individual contributions of the damage zone and the fault core. In the case of the damage zone, it is generally characterized by means of fracture analysis and modelling implementing multiple approaches, for instance the discrete fracture network model, the continuum model, and the channel network model. Conversely, the fault core is more difficult to characterize because it is normally composed of fine grain material generated by friction and wear. If the dimensions of the fault core allows it, the porosity and permeability are normally studied by means of laboratory analysis or in the other case by two dimensional microporosity analysis and in situ measurements of permeability (e.g. micro-permeameter). In this study, a combined approach consisting of fracture modeling, three-dimensional microporosity analysis, and computational fluid dynamics was applied to characterize the hydraulic properties of fault zones. The studied fault zones crosscut a well-cemented heterolithic succession (sandstone and mudstones) and may vary in terms of fault core thickness and composition, fracture properties, kinematics (normal or strike-slip), and displacement. These characteristics produce various splay and fault core behavior. The alternation of sandstone and mudstone layers is responsible for the concurrent occurrence of brittle (fractures) and ductile (clay smearing) deformation. When these alternating layers are faulted, they produce corresponding fault cores which act as conduits or barriers for fluid migration. When analyzing damage zones, accurate field and data acquisition and stochastic modeling was used to determine the hydraulic properties of the rock volume, in relation to the surrounding, undamaged host rock. In the fault cores, the three-dimensional pore network quantitative analysis based on X-ray microtomography images includes porosity, pore connectivity, and specific surface area. In addition, images were used to perform computational fluid simulation (Lattice-Boltzmann multi relaxation time method) and estimate the permeability. These results will be useful for understanding the deformation process and hydraulic properties across meter-scale damage zones.

Modeling Earthquake Rupture and Corresponding Tsunamis Along a Segment of the Alaskan-Aleutian Megathrust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, K. J.; Geist, E. L.; Oglesby, D. D.; Kyriakopoulos, C.

2016-12-01

Motivated by the 2011 Mw 9 Tohoku-Oki event, we explore the effects of realistic fault dynamics on slip, free surface deformation, and the resulting tsunami generation and local propagation from a hypothetical Mw 9 megathrust earthquake along the Alaskan-Aleutian (A-A) Megathrust. We demonstrate three scenarios: a spatially-homogenous prestress and frictional parameter model and two models with rate-strengthening-like friction (e.g., Dieterich, 1992). We use a dynamic finite element code to model 3-D ruptures, using time-weakening friction (Andrews, 2004) as a proxy for rate-strengthening friction, along a portion of the A-A subduction zone. Given geometric, material, and plate-coupling data along the A-A megathrust assembled from the Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) team (e.g., Bruns et al., 1987; Hayes et al., 2012; Johnson et al., 2004; Santini et al., 2003; Wells at al., 2003), we are able to dynamically model rupture. Adding frictional-strengthening to a region of the fault reduces both average slip and free surface displacement above the strengthening zone, with the magnitude of the reductions depending on the strengthening zone location. Corresponding tsunami models, which use a finite difference method to solve the long-wave equations (e.g., Liu et al., 1995; Satake, 2002; Shuto, 1991), match sea floor displacement, in time, to the free surface displacement from the rupture models. Tsunami models show changes in local peak amplitudes and beaming patterns for each slip distribution. Given these results, other heterogeneous parameterizations, with respect to prestress and friction, still need to be examined. Additionally, a more realistic fault geometry will likely affect the rupture dynamics. Thus, future work will incorporate stochastic stress and friction distributions as well as a more complex fault geometry based on Slab 1.0 (Hayes et al., 2012).

Seismic fault zone trapped noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillers, G.; Campillo, M.; Ben-Zion, Y.; Roux, P.

2014-07-01

Systematic velocity contrasts across and within fault zones can lead to head and trapped waves that provide direct information on structural units that are important for many aspects of earthquake and fault mechanics. Here we construct trapped waves from the scattered seismic wavefield recorded by a fault zone array. The frequency-dependent interaction between the ambient wavefield and the fault zone environment is studied using properties of the noise correlation field. A critical frequency fc ≈ 0.5 Hz defines a threshold above which the in-fault scattered wavefield has increased isotropy and coherency compared to the ambient noise. The increased randomization of in-fault propagation directions produces a wavefield that is trapped in a waveguide/cavity-like structure associated with the low-velocity damage zone. Dense spatial sampling allows the resolution of a near-field focal spot, which emerges from the superposition of a collapsing, time reversed wavefront. The shape of the focal spot depends on local medium properties, and a focal spot-based fault normal distribution of wave speeds indicates a ˜50% velocity reduction consistent with estimates from a far-field travel time inversion. The arrival time pattern of a synthetic correlation field can be tuned to match properties of an observed pattern, providing a noise-based imaging tool that can complement analyses of trapped ballistic waves. The results can have wide applicability for investigating the internal properties of fault damage zones, because mechanisms controlling the emergence of trapped noise have less limitations compared to trapped ballistic waves.

Paleoseismology of the Mt. Narryer Fault Zone, West Central Western Australia: a Multi-Segment Intraplate Fault System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitney, B. B.; Clark, D.; Hengesh, J.

2014-12-01

The Western Australia shear zone (WASZ) is a 2000 km long fault system within the intraplate region of Australia. A paleoseismological study of faults and fault-related folds comprising the Mount Narryer fault zone (MNfz) in the southern WASZ reveals a late Quaternary history of repeated morphogenic earthquake occurrence that has profoundly influenced the planform and course of the Murchison, Roderick, and Sanford Rivers. Folding in the near surface sediments is the predominant style of surface expression of reactivated basement faults which is consistent with other neotectonic structures throughout the Western Australia shear zone. CRN and OSL estimates of exposure and burial ages of fault-related folds and fold derived colluvium provide constraint on Late Quaternary slip rates on the underlying faults of ~0.05 - 0.1 mm/a. In the case of the Roderick River fault scarp, 2-3m high tectonic risers separating inset terraces where the Murchison River crosses the scarp are consistent with multiple late Quaternary seismic events on the order of magnitude Mw 7.1-7.3. Mid-Pleistocene ages of tectonically deformed strata in the MNfz are consistent with the timing of collision between the Australian extended margin and Savu-Rote ridge 0.2-1.8 Ma.

Estimation of the Characterized Tsunami Source Model considering the Complicated Shape of Tsunami Source by Using the observed waveforms of GPS Buoys in the Nankai Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seto, S.; Takahashi, T.

2017-12-01

In the 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami disaster, the delay of understanding damage situation increased the human damage. To solve this problem, it is important to search the severe damaged areas. The tsunami numerical modeling is useful to estimate damages and the accuracy of simulation depends on the tsunami source. Seto and Takahashi (2017) proposed a method to estimate the characterized tsunami source model by using the limited observed data of GPS buoys. The model consists of Large slip zone (LSZ), Super large slip zone (SLSZ) and background rupture zone (BZ) as the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (below COGJ) reported after the Tohoku tsunami. At the beginning of this method, the rectangular fault model is assumed based on the seismic magnitude and hypocenter reported right after an earthquake. By using the fault model, tsunami propagation is simulated numerically, and the fault model is improved after comparing the computed data with the observed data repeatedly. In the comparison, correlation coefficient and regression coefficient are used as indexes. They are calculated with the observed and the computed tsunami wave profiles. This repetition is conducted to get the two coefficients close to 1.0, which makes the precise of the fault model higher. However, it was indicated as the improvement that the model did not examine a complicated shape of tsunami source. In this study, we proposed an improved model to examine the complicated shape. COGJ(2012) assumed that possible tsunami source region in the Nankai trough consisted of the several thousands small faults. And, we use these small faults to estimate the targeted tsunami source in this model. Therefore, we can estimate the complicated tsunami source by using these small faults. The estimation of BZ is carried out as a first step, and LSZ and SLSZ are estimated next as same as the previous model. The proposed model by using GPS buoy was applied for a tsunami scenario in the Nankai Trough. As a result, the final estimated location of LSZ and SLSZ in BZ are estimated well.

Strain accumulation across the Eastern California Shear Zone at latitude 36°30'N

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gan, Weijun; Svarc, Jerry L.; Savage, J.C.; Prescott, W.H.

2000-01-01

The motion of a linear array of monuments extending across the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ) has been measured from 1994 to 1999 with the Global Positioning System. The linear array is oriented N54°E, perpendicular to the tangent to the local small circle drawn about the Pacific-North America pole of rotation, and the observed motion across the ECSZ is approximated by differential rotation about that pole. The observations suggest uniform deformation within the ECSZ (strike N23°W) (26 nstrain yr−1 extension normal to the zone and 39 nstrain yr−1 simple right-lateral shear across it) with no significant deformation in the two blocks (the Sierra Nevada mountains and southern Nevada) on either side. The deformation may be imposed by right-lateral slip at depth on the individual major fault systems within the zone if the slip rates are: Death Valley-Furnace Creek fault 3.2±0.9 mm yr−1, Hunter Mountain-Panamint Valley fault 3.3±1.6 mm yr−1, and Owens Valley fault 6.9±1.6 mm yr−1. However, this estimate of the slip rate on the Owens Valley fault is 3 times greater than the geologic estimate.

Seismotectonics of the trans-Himalaya, Eastern Ladakh, India: constraints from Moment Tensor Solutions of local earthquake data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, A.

2017-12-01

The eastern Ladakh-Karakoram zone, the northwest part of the Trans-Himalayan belt, bears signature of this collisional process in the form of suture zones, exhumed blocks that underwent deeper subduction and also intra-continental fault zones. The seismotectonic scenario of northwest part of India-Asia collision zone is studied by analyzing the local earthquake data (M 1.4-4.3) recorded by a broadband seismological network consisting of 14 stations. Focal Mechanism Solution (FMS) of 13 selected earthquakes were computed through waveform inversion of three-component broadband records. Depth distribution of the earthquakes and FMS of local earthquakes obtained through waveform inversion reveal the kinematics of the major fault zones present in Eastern Ladakh. The most pronounced cluster of seismicity is observed in the Karakoram Fault (KF) zone up to a depth of 65 km (Fig.1). The FMS reveals transpressive environment with the strike of inferred fault plane roughly parallel to the KF. It is inferred that the KF at least penetrates up to the lower crust and is a manifestation of active under thrusting of Indian lower crust beneath Tibet. Two clusters of micro seismicity is observed at a depth range of 5-20 km at north western and southeastern fringe of the Tso Morari gneiss dome which can be correlated to the activities along the Zildat fault and Karzok fault respectively. The FMSs estimated for representative earthquakes show thrust fault solutions for the Karzok fault and normal fault solution for the Zildat fault. It is inferred that the Zildat fault is acting as detachment, facilitating the exhumation of the Tso Morari dome. On the other hand, the Tso Morari dome is underthrusting the Karzok ophiolite on its southern margin along the Karzok fault, due to gravity collapse.

Extreme scale multi-physics simulations of the tsunamigenic 2004 Sumatra megathrust earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, T.; Gabriel, A. A.; Madden, E. H.; Wollherr, S.; Uphoff, C.; Rettenberger, S.; Bader, M.

2017-12-01

SeisSol (www.seissol.org) is an open-source software package based on an arbitrary high-order derivative Discontinuous Galerkin method (ADER-DG). It solves spontaneous dynamic rupture propagation on pre-existing fault interfaces according to non-linear friction laws, coupled to seismic wave propagation with high-order accuracy in space and time (minimal dispersion errors). SeisSol exploits unstructured meshes to account for complex geometries, e.g. high resolution topography and bathymetry, 3D subsurface structure, and fault networks. We present the up-to-date largest (1500 km of faults) and longest (500 s) dynamic rupture simulation modeling the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake. We demonstrate the need for end-to-end-optimization and petascale performance of scientific software to realize realistic simulations on the extreme scales of subduction zone earthquakes: Considering the full complexity of subduction zone geometries leads inevitably to huge differences in element sizes. The main code improvements include a cache-aware wave propagation scheme and optimizations of the dynamic rupture kernels using code generation. In addition, a novel clustered local-time-stepping scheme for dynamic rupture has been established. Finally, asynchronous output has been implemented to overlap I/O and compute time. We resolve the frictional sliding process on the curved mega-thrust and a system of splay faults, as well as the seismic wave field and seafloor displacement with frequency content up to 2.2 Hz. We validate the scenario by geodetic, seismological and tsunami observations. The resulting rupture dynamics shed new light on the activation and importance of splay faults.

Strike-slip Fault Structure in the Salton Trough and Deformation During and After the 2010 M7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah Earthquake from Geodetic and Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fielding, E. J.; Sun, J.; Gonzalez-Ortega, A.; González-Escobar, M.; Freed, A. M.; Burgmann, R.; Samsonov, S. V.; Gonzalez-Garcia, J.; Fletcher, J. M.; Hinojosa, A.

2013-12-01

The Pacific-North America plate boundary character changes southward from the strike-slip and transpressional configuration along most of California to oblique rifting in the Gulf of California, with a transitional zone of transtension beneath the Salton Trough in southernmost California and northern Mexico. The Salton Trough is characterized by extremely high heat flow and thin lithosphere with a thick fill of sedimentary material delivered by the Colorado River during the past 5-6 million years. Because of the rapid sedimentation, most of the faults in Salton Trough are buried and reveal themselves when they slip either seismically or aseismically. They can also be located by refraction and reflection of seismic waves. The 4 April 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake (Mw 7.2) in Baja California and Sonora, Mexico is probably the largest earthquake in the Salton Trough for at least 120 years, and had primarily right-lateral strike-slip motion. The earthquake ruptured a complex set of faults that lie to the west of the main plate boundary fault, the Cerro Prieto Fault, and shows that the strike-slip fault system in the southern Salton Trough has multiple sub-parallel active faults, similar to southern California. The Cerro Prieto Fault is still likely absorbing the majority of strain in the plate boundary. We study the coseismic and postseismic deformation of the 2010 earthquake with interferometric analysis of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images (InSAR) and pixel tracking by subpixel correlation of SAR and optical images. We combine sampled InSAR and subpixel correlation results with GPS (Global Positioning System) offsets at PBO (Plate Boundary Observatory) stations to estimate the likely subsurface geometry of the major faults that slipped during the earthquake and to derive a static coseismic slip model. We constrained the surface locations of the fault segments to mapped locations in the Sierra Cucapah to the northwest of the epicenter. SAR along-track offsets, especially on ALOS images, show that there is a large amount of right-lateral slip (1-3 m) on a previously unmapped system of faults extending about 60 km to the southeast of the epicenter beneath the Colorado River Delta named the Indiviso Fault system. The finite fault slip modeling shows a bilateral rupture with coseismic fault slip shallower than 10 km on the faults to the NW (dipping NE) and SE (dipping SW) of the epicenter. The southeastern end of the coseismic ruptures has complex fault geometry, including both east- and west-dipping faults revealed by recently reprocessed seismic reflection profiles. This new coseismic fault geometry will be the basis for a new finite element model of the crust and mantle for modeling of the coseismic slip with realistic 3D elastic structure and the viscoelastic postseismic relaxation. Postseismic InSAR, including new Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR) data, and GPS show rapid shallow afterslip on faults at the north and south ends of the main coseismic rupture and down-dip from the area of largest coseismic slip. Longer wavelength postseismic relaxation will be best measured by GPS.

Magnitude, Timing, and Geometry of Extension in the Southern Sevier Desert Basin From Piercing Points, Seismic-Stratigraphic Reconstruction, and Deep well Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coogan, J. C.; Decelles, P. G.

2007-12-01

Palinspastic reconstruction of Mesozoic thrust sheets provides the main constraint for an estimated 47 km of Cenozoic extensional displacement along the Sevier Desert detachment (SDD) in the central Sevier Desert Basin. Hanging wall and footwall piercing points indicate that the SDD accommodated a minimum of 35 km of extensional displacement in the narrower southern part of the basin. The piercing points for the SDD are defined by the intersection of the SDD, the Canyon Range thrust (CRT), and a regional early Cenozoic erosion surface (ES). The hanging wall piercing point lies immediately northeast of the Cricket Mountains, where the SDD-CRT- ES intersection is narrowly defined by intersecting structure maps derived from published seismic reflection data. The footwall piercing point lies in the southern foothills of the Canyon Range, where the SDD breakaway plane is well constrained by an industry seismic line that lies within 2 km of the exposed intersection of the CRT with the base of the Oligocene Oak City Formation. Timing of extension in the southern Sevier Desert basin is constrained by a kinematic reconstruction of detachment and imbricate fault displacement, footwall uplift, and supradetachment sedimentation for Oligocene, Miocene, and Plio-Pleistocene seismic sequences. The reconstruction is centered on a seismic reflection and gravity interpretation along the published Pan Canadian profiles 2 and 3 that is tied to dated intervals in six industry wells. Fault restoration indicates that Oligocene and Miocene phases of slip each accounted for about 40 percent of the total displacement. Simultaneous backstripping of the Oligocene, Miocene, and Plio-Pleistocene supradetachment sequences records hanging wall subsidence simultaneous with footwall uplift, with a footwall burial history that is consistent with published Miocene apatite and zircon fission-track ages of footwall samples. The geometric evolution of the southern SDD extensional system is consistent with its development above a broad westward-migrating "rolling hinge" zone associated with isostatic uplift of the detachment footwall. Hanging wall normal faults east of the footwall crest exhibit small post-Miocene displacement, with demonstrable Quaternary slip restricted to the crest and western limb of the uplift, most notably along the Black Rock and Clear Lake fault zones. Early abandonment of the eastern part of the detachment may explain the indistinct geomorphic and structural expression of the break-away zone at the surface. The deepest level of the southern SDD also presents a complex geometry and kinematic history. The 1996 Chevron 1-29 Black Rock Federal well through the western basin margin penetrated a normal fault that places Jurassic over lower Cambrian strata at 4650 m measured depth, well above the principal SDD seismic reflection. The fault is not correlated to any large- displacement high-angle fault at shallow levels, and may form the abandoned roof to an extensional duplex.

TEM prospection on quaternary faults: the case of San Ramón Fault (SRF), Central Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estay, N. P.; Yanez, G. A.; Maringue, J. I.

2016-12-01

Quaternary faults are relevant study objects in geosciences to better estimation of seismic risk. Nowadays main efforts are focused on the improvement of paleoseismology and geophysics techniques. At this regard, we present here a TEM prospection of the San Ramón quaternary fault in the southern Andes. This fault has no record of historic activation, however, given its proximity to the Chilean capital, hazardous estimate is mandatory. Evidences of the SRF are restricted to geomorphologic features, and associated secondary faults on the hanging wall block, but any outcrop of the main fault have been identified. To observe the main fault in the basement rock, cover by a 30-100 m sedimentary basin, we carried out a TEM experiment. The best advantage of the TEM methodology compared to other near-surface electrical methods is it capacity to reach greater penetration depth compared to its spatial sampling rate. Taking this advantage, we define a 25x25 m transmitter loop (Tx) and 5x5 m receiver loop (Rx), allowing the suitable resolution to observe the fault core. To reach a deeper penetration depth but keeping high resolution of the shallow parts, we made two complementary measurements, the first with one-turn transmitter loop, and the second with 4-turn transmitter loops, to resolve the early and late times properly. As result we define vertical profiles of 100-150m depth, and including 48 measures (24 of one-turn transmitter loop, and 24 of four-turn transmitter loop), the resulting pseudo 2D image is a 500m profile with depth extent of 150m. In this section we can observe different resistivity domain, with a horizontal continuity in many measures. The experiment allows to cross the sedimentary cover, and observe the top of the basement rock. In the rock domain, it can be observed a high resistivity body, interpreted as a pristine rock, and some extremely low resistivity bodies, that are interpreted as a fractured rock saturated with water, and eventually mapping a fossil/actual hydrothermal flow. These fractured zone is interpreted as the main trace of the fault. Finally, this TEM experiment allow to estimate the associated cumulative slip, as well as the fault geometry of the first 150m, useful for BEM or FEM seismic modeling.

Crustal strength anisotropy influences landscape form and longevity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, S. G.; Koons, P. O.; Upton, P.; Tucker, G. E.

2013-12-01

Lithospheric deformation is increasingly recognized as integral to landscape evolution. Here we employ a coupled orogenic and landscape model to test the hypothesis that strain-induced crustal failure exerts the dominant control on rates and patterns of orogenic landscape evolution. We assume that erodibility is inversely proportional to cohesion for bedrock rivers host to bedload abrasion. Crustal failure can potentially reduce cohesion by several orders of magnitude along meter scale planar fault zones. The strain-induced cohesion field is generated by use of a strain softening upper crustal rheology in our orogenic model. Based on the results of our coupled model, we predict that topographic anisotropy found in natural orogens is largely a consequence of strain-induced anisotropy in the near surface strength field. The lifespan and geometry of mountain ranges are strongly sensitive to 1) the acute division in erodibility values between the damaged fault zones and the surrounding intact rock and 2) the fault zone orientations for a given tectonic regime. The large division in erodibility between damaged and intact rock combined with the dependence on fault zone orientation provides a spectrum of rates at which a landscape will respond to tectonic or climatic perturbations. Knickpoint migration is about an order of magnitude faster along the exposed cores of fault zones when compared to rates in intact rock, and migration rate increases with fault dip. The contrast in relative erosion rate confines much of the early stage fluvial erosion and establishes a major drainage network that reflects the orientations of exposed fault zones. Slower erosion into the surrounding intact rock typically creates small tributaries that link orthogonally to the structurally confined channels. The large divide in fluvial erosion rate permits the long term persistence of the tectonic signal in the landscape and partly contributes to orogen longevity. Landscape morphology and channel tortuosity together provide critical information on the orientation and spatial distribution of fault damage and the relevant tectonic regime. Our landscape evolution models express similar mechanisms and produce drainage network patterns analogous to those seen in the Southern Alps of New Zealand and the Himalayan Eastern Syntaxis, both centers of active lithospheric deformation.

Features and dimensions of the Hayward Fault Zone in the Strawberry and Blackberry Creek Area, Berkeley, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, P.L.

1995-03-01

This report presents an examination of the geometry of the Hayward fault adjacent to the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and University of California campuses in central Berkeley. The fault crosses inside the eastern border of the UC campus. Most subtle geomorphic (landform) expressions of the fault have been removed by development and by the natural processes of landsliding and erosion. Some clear expressions of the fault remain however, and these are key to mapping the main trace through the campus area. In addition, original geomorphic evidence of the fault`s location was recovered from large scale mapping of the site dating frommore » 1873 to 1897. Before construction obscured and removed natural landforms, the fault was expressed by a linear, northwest-tending zone of fault-related geomorphic features. There existed well-defined and subtle stream offsets and beheaded channels, fault scarps, and a prominent ``shutter ridge``. To improve our confidence in fault locations interpreted from landforms, we referred to clear fault exposures revealed in trenching, revealed during the construction of the Foothill Housing Complex, and revealed along the length of the Lawson Adit mining tunnel. Also utilized were the locations of offset cultural features. At several locations across the study area, distress features in buildings and streets have been used to precisely locate the fault. Recent published mapping of the fault (Lienkaemper, 1992) was principally used for reference to evidence of the fault`s location to the northwest and southeast of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.« less

Deformation Front Development at the Northeast Margin of the Tainan Basin, Tainan-Kaohsiung Area, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shiuh-Tsann; Yang, Kenn-Ming; Hung, Jih-Hao; Wu, Jong-Chang; Ting, Hsin-Hsiu; Mei, Wen-Wei; Hsu, Shiang-Horng; Lee, Min

2004-03-01

The geological setting south of the Tsengwen River and the Tsochen Fault is the transitional zone between the Tainan foreland basin and Manila accretionary wedge in Southwestern Taiwan. This transitional zone is characterized by the triangle zone geological model associated with back thrusts that is quite unique compared to the other parts of the Western foreland that are dominated by thrust imbrications. The Hsinhua structure, the Tainan anticline, and the offshore H2 anticline are the first group of major culminations in the westernmost part of the Fold-and-Thrust belt that formed during the Penglay Orogeny. Structures in the the Tainan and Kaohsiung areas provide important features of the initial mountain building stage in Western Taiwan. A deeply buried basal detachment with ramp-flat geometry existed in the constructed geological sections. A typical triangle is found by back thrusting, such as where the Hsinhua Fault cuts upsection of the Upper Pliocene and Pleistocene from a lower detachment along the lower Gutingkeng Formation. The Tainan structure is a southward extension of the Hinhua Fault and has an asymmetric geometry of gentle western and steep eastern limbs. Our studies suggest that the Tainan anticline is similar to the structure formed by the Hsinhua Fault. Both are characterized by back thrusts and rooted into a detachment about 5 km deep. The triangle zone structure stops at H2 anticline offshore Tainan and beyond the west of it, All the structures are replaced by rift tectonic settings developed in the passive continental margin. On the basal detachment, a major ramp interpreted as a tectonic discontinuity was found in this study. Above the northeastern end of the major ramp of basal detachment, the Lungchuan Fault is associated with a triangle system development, while at the southwestern end a thrust wedge is present. It could be deduced that a thrust wedge intrudes northwestward. The area below the major ramp, or equivalent to the trailing edge of the basal detachment, mud diapers often occur in relation to the thickest deposits of the Gutingkeng Formation and caused by the mechanism of detachment folding

Comparison of Observed Spatio-temporal Aftershock Patterns with Earthquake Simulator Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroll, K.; Richards-Dinger, K. B.; Dieterich, J. H.

2013-12-01

Due to the complex nature of faulting in southern California, knowledge of rupture behavior near fault step-overs is of critical importance to properly quantify and mitigate seismic hazards. Estimates of earthquake probability are complicated by the uncertainty that a rupture will stop at or jump a fault step-over, which affects both the magnitude and frequency of occurrence of earthquakes. In recent years, earthquake simulators and dynamic rupture models have begun to address the effects of complex fault geometries on earthquake ground motions and rupture propagation. Early models incorporated vertical faults with highly simplified geometries. Many current studies examine the effects of varied fault geometry, fault step-overs, and fault bends on rupture patterns; however, these works are limited by the small numbers of integrated fault segments and simplified orientations. The previous work of Kroll et al., 2013 on the northern extent of the 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah rupture in the Yuha Desert region uses precise aftershock relocations to show an area of complex conjugate faulting within the step-over region between the Elsinore and Laguna Salada faults. Here, we employ an innovative approach of incorporating this fine-scale fault structure defined through seismological, geologic and geodetic means in the physics-based earthquake simulator, RSQSim, to explore the effects of fine-scale structures on stress transfer and rupture propagation and examine the mechanisms that control aftershock activity and local triggering of other large events. We run simulations with primary fault structures in state of California and northern Baja California and incorporate complex secondary faults in the Yuha Desert region. These models produce aftershock activity that enables comparison between the observed and predicted distribution and allow for examination of the mechanisms that control them. We investigate how the spatial and temporal distribution of aftershocks are affected by changes to model parameters such as shear and normal stress, rate-and-state frictional properties, fault geometry, and slip rate.

Insurance Applications of Active Fault Maps Showing Epistemic Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, G.

2005-12-01

Insurance loss modeling for earthquakes utilizes available maps of active faulting produced by geoscientists. All such maps are subject to uncertainty, arising from lack of knowledge of fault geometry and rupture history. Field work to undertake geological fault investigations drains human and monetary resources, and this inevitably limits the resolution of fault parameters. Some areas are more accessible than others; some may be of greater social or economic importance than others; some areas may be investigated more rapidly or diligently than others; or funding restrictions may have curtailed the extent of the fault mapping program. In contrast with the aleatory uncertainty associated with the inherent variability in the dynamics of earthquake fault rupture, uncertainty associated with lack of knowledge of fault geometry and rupture history is epistemic. The extent of this epistemic uncertainty may vary substantially from one regional or national fault map to another. However aware the local cartographer may be, this uncertainty is generally not conveyed in detail to the international map user. For example, an area may be left blank for a variety of reasons, ranging from lack of sufficient investigation of a fault to lack of convincing evidence of activity. Epistemic uncertainty in fault parameters is of concern in any probabilistic assessment of seismic hazard, not least in insurance earthquake risk applications. A logic-tree framework is appropriate for incorporating epistemic uncertainty. Some insurance contracts cover specific high-value properties or transport infrastructure, and therefore are extremely sensitive to the geometry of active faulting. Alternative Risk Transfer (ART) to the capital markets may also be considered. In order for such insurance or ART contracts to be properly priced, uncertainty should be taken into account. Accordingly, an estimate is needed for the likelihood of surface rupture capable of causing severe damage. Especially where a high deductible is in force, this requires estimation of the epistemic uncertainty on fault geometry and activity. Transport infrastructure insurance is of practical interest in seismic countries. On the North Anatolian Fault in Turkey, there is uncertainty over an unbroken segment between the eastern end of the Dazce Fault and Bolu. This may have ruptured during the 1944 earthquake. Existing hazard maps may simply use a question mark to flag uncertainty. However, a far more informative type of hazard map might express spatial variations in the confidence level associated with a fault map. Through such visual guidance, an insurance risk analyst would be better placed to price earthquake cover, allowing for epistemic uncertainty.

Automated rapid finite fault inversion for megathrust earthquakes: Application to the Maule (2010), Iquique (2014) and Illapel (2015) great earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benavente, Roberto; Cummins, Phil; Dettmer, Jan

2016-04-01

Rapid estimation of the spatial and temporal rupture characteristics of large megathrust earthquakes by finite fault inversion is important for disaster mitigation. For example, estimates of the spatio-temporal evolution of rupture can be used to evaluate population exposure to tsunami waves and ground shaking soon after the event by providing more accurate predictions than possible with point source approximations. In addition, rapid inversion results can reveal seismic source complexity to guide additional, more detailed subsequent studies. This work develops a method to rapidly estimate the slip distribution of megathrust events while reducing subjective parameter choices by automation. The method is simple yet robust and we show that it provides excellent preliminary rupture models as soon as 30 minutes for three great earthquakes in the South-American subduction zone. This may slightly change for other regions depending on seismic station coverage but method can be applied to any subduction region. The inversion is based on W-phase data since it is rapidly and widely available and of low amplitude which avoids clipping at close stations for large events. In addition, prior knowledge of the slab geometry (e.g. SLAB 1.0) is applied and rapid W-phase point source information (time delay and centroid location) is used to constrain the fault geometry and extent. Since the linearization by multiple time window (MTW) parametrization requires regularization, objective smoothing is achieved by the discrepancy principle in two fully automated steps. First, the residuals are estimated assuming unknown noise levels, and second, seeking a subsequent solution which fits the data to noise level. The MTW scheme is applied with positivity constraints and a solution is obtained by an efficient non-negative least squares solver. Systematic application of the algorithm to the Maule (2010), Iquique (2014) and Illapel (2015) events illustrates that rapid finite fault inversion with teleseismic data is feasible and provides meaningful results. The results for the three events show excellent data fits and are consistent with other solutions showing most of the slip occurring close to the trench for the Maule an Illapel events and some deeper slip for the Iquique event. Importantly, the Illapel source model predicts tsunami waveforms of close agreement with observed waveforms. Finally, we develop a new Bayesian approach to approximate uncertainties as part of the rapid inversion scheme with positivity constraints. Uncertainties are estimated by approximating the posterior distribution as a multivariate log-normal distribution. While solving for the posterior adds some additional computational cost, we illustrate that uncertainty estimation is important for meaningful interpretation of finite fault models.

The interplay of fold mechanisms and basement weaknesses at the transition between Laramide basement-involved arches, north-central Wyoming, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neely, Thomas G.; Erslev, Eric A.

2009-09-01

Horizontally-shortened, basement-involved foreland orogens commonly exhibit anastomosing networks of bifurcating basement highs (here called arches) whose structural culminations are linked by complex transition zones of diversely-oriented faults and folds. The 3D geometry and kinematics of the southern Beartooth arch transition zone of north-central Wyoming were studied to understand the fold mechanisms and control on basement-involved arches. Data from 1581 slickensided minor faults are consistent with a single regional shortening direction of 065°. Evidence for oblique-slip, vertical axis rotations and stress refraction at anomalously-oriented folds suggests formation over reactivated pre-existing weaknesses. Restorable cross-sections and 3D surfaces, constrained by surface, well, and seismic data, document blind, ENE-directed basement thrusting and associated thin-skinned backthrusting and folding along the Beartooth and Oregon Basin fault systems. Between these systems, the basement-cored Rattlesnake Mountain backthrust followed basement weaknesses and rotated a basement chip toward the basin before the ENE-directed Line Creek fault system broke through and connected the Beartooth and Oregon Basin fault systems. Slip was transferred at the terminations of the Rattlesnake Mountain fault block by pivoting to the north and tear faulting to the south. In summary, unidirectional Laramide compression and pre-existing basement weaknesses combined with fault-propagation and rotational fault-bend folding to create an irregular yet continuous basement arch transition.

Kinematic vicissitudes and the spatial distribution of the alteration zone related to the Byobuyama fault, central Japan. (Implication; Influence of another faults.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katori, T.; Kobayashi, K.

2015-12-01

The central Japan is one of the most concentrated area of active faults (Quaternary fault). These are roughly classified into two orthogonally-oriented fault sets of NE-SW and NW-SE strikes. The study area is located in Gifu prefecture, central Japan. In there, the basement rocks are composed mainly of Triassic-Jurassic accretionary prism (Mino belt), Cretaceous Nohi Rhyolite and Cretaceous granitic rocks. Miocene Mizunami G. and Pliocene-Pleistocene Toki Sand and Gravel F. unconformably cover the basement rocks. The Byobuyama fault, 32 km in length, is NE-SW strike and displaces perpendicularly the Toki Sand and Gravel F. by 500 m. The northeastern terminal of the fault has contact with the southern terminal of the Atera fault of NW-SE strike and offset their displacements each other. It is clear that the activity of the Byobuyama fault plays a role of the development of the complicated fault geometry system in the central Japan. In this study, we performed a broad-based investigation along the Byobuyama fault and collected samples. Actually, we observed 400 faults and analyzed 200 fault rocks. Based on these results, we obtained the following new opinion. 1. The Byobuyama fault has experienced following activities that can be divided to 3 stages at least under different stress field. 1) Movement with the sinisterly sense (preserved in cataclasite zone). 2) Dextral movement (preserved in fault gouge zone). 3) Reverse fault movement (due to the aggressive rise of mountains). In addition, the change from Stage 2 to Stage 3 is a continuous. 2. There is a relationship between the distance from the trace of the Byobuyama fault and the combination of alteration minerals included in the fault rocks. 3. In the central part of the Byobuyama fault (CPBF), fault plane trend and combination of alteration minerals shows specific features. The continuous change is considered to mean the presence of factors that interfere with the dextral movement of the Byobuyama fault. What is considered as one of the factors is the effect of the fault zone adjacent, especially the Atera fault. CPBF is located just southeast extension of the Akou fault, NW-SE strike. We think that this extension reaches up to CPBF. Based on the above, we make a presentation about interaction of two faults from the point of view of kinematic vicissitudes and alteration process.

Numerical Modeling of Hydrothermal Circulation at the Longqi-1 Field: Southwest Indian Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Z.; Lowell, R. P.; Tao, C.; Rupke, L.; Lewis, K. C.

2017-12-01

The Longqi-1(Dragon Flag) hydrothermal field is the first high-temperature hydrothermal system observed on the ultra-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. Hydrothermal vents with temperatures near 380 °C are localized by detachment faulting within which extensional deformation likely increases permeability to provide preferred pathways for hydrothermal discharge. To better understand the Longqi-1 circulation system, we construct a 2-D numerical simulations in a NaCl- H2O fluid constrained by key observational data, such as vent temperature and heat output, crust structure derived from seismic data, and fault zone geometry deduced from seismicity. Heat output from AUV surveys is estimated to be » 300 ± 100 MW, and this value, in conjunction with vent temperature was used with the single-pass modeling approach to obtain an average permeability of 10-13 m-2 within the fault zone. In analogy with other fault-controlled hydrothermal systems such as Logatchev-1 we assume a lower background permeability of 10-14 m-2. The top boundary of the system is permeable and maintained at constant seafloor pressure, which is divided into two parts by the detachment fault. The pressure of the southern part is lower than the northern part to simulate the effect of the seafloor topography. The top boundary is upstream weighted to allow high temperature fluid to exit, while recharging fluid is maintained at 10°C. The bottom boundary is impermeable and is given a fixed temperature distribution at a depth of 7 km below the seafloor. The highest value Tmax is maintained over a distance given lateral distance and decreases linearly towards two ends to 300 °C. The salinity is set to 3.2 wt. % NaCl, and the simulations are assumed to be single phase. The results show that with a 7 km deep circulation system, Tmax = 550 oC gives a reasonable temperature and heat output of venting plume.We infer that the observed high salinity results from serpentinization reactions. Assuming all salinity in excess of seawater comes from uptake of H2O during serpentinization, we can estimate the rate of reaction and heat release of serpentinezation based on a simplified reaction equation, observed heat output and salinity data. The estimated rate of heat release during serpentinization is 20 MW. This is approximately 10% of the heat output of Dragon Flag vent field.

Fracture zone drilling through Atotsugawa fault in central Japan - geological and geophysical structure -

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omura, K.; Yamashita, F.; Yamada, R.; Matsuda, T.; Fukuyama, E.; Kubo, A.; Takai, K.; Ikeda, R.; Mizuochi, Y.

2004-12-01

Drilling is an effective method to investigate the structure and physical state in and around the active fault zone, such as, stress and strength distribution, geological structure and materials properties. In particular, the structure in the fault zone is important to understand where and how the stress accumulates during the earthquake cycle. In previous studies, we did integrate investigation on active faults in central Japan by drilling and geophysical prospecting. Those faults are estimated to be at different stage in the earthquake cycle, i.e., Nojima fault which appeared on the surface by the 1995 Great Kobe earthquake (M=7.2), the Neodani fault which appeared by the 1891 Nobi earth-quake (M=8.0), the Atera fault, of which some parts have seemed to be dislocated by the 1586 Tensyo earthquake (M=7.9), and Gofukuji Fault that is considered to have activated about 1200 years ago. Each faults showed characteristic features of fracture zone structure according to their geological and geophysical situations. In a present study, we did core recovery and down hole measurements at the Atotsugawa fault, central Japan, that is considered to have activated at 1858 Hida earthquake (M=7.0). The Atotsugawa fault is characterized by active seismicity along the fault. But, at the same time, the shallow region in the central segment of the fault seems to have low seismicity. The high seismicity segment and low seismicity segments may have different mechanical, physical and material properties. A 350m depth borehole was drilled vertically beside the surface trace of the fault in the low seismicity segment. Recovered cores were overall heavily fractured and altered rocks. In the cores, we observed many shear planes holding fault gouge. Logging data showed that the apparent resistance was about 100 - 600 ohm-m, density was about 2.0 - 2.5g/cm3, P wave velocity was approximately 3.0 - 4.0 km/sec, neutron porosity was 20 - 40 %. Results of physical logging show features of fault fracture zone that were the same as the fault fracture zones of other active faults that we have drilled previously. By the BHTV logging, we detected many fractures of which the strikes are not only parallel to the fault trace bur also oblique to the fault trace. The observations of cores and logging data indicate that the borehole passed in the fracture zone down to the bottom, and that the fracture zone has complicate internal structure including foliation not parallel to the fault trace. The core samples are significant for further investigation on material properties in the fracture zone. And we need data of geophysical prospecting to infer the deeper structure of the fracture zone.

Geometrical and Structural Asperities on Fault Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagy, A.; Brodsky, E. E.; van der Elst, N.; Agosta, F.; di Toro, G.; Collettini, C.

2007-12-01

Earthquake dynamics are strongly affected by fault zone structure and geometry. Fault surface irregularities and the nearby structure control the rupture nucleation and propagation, the fault strength, the near-field stress orientations and the hydraulic properties. New field observations demonstrate the existence of asperities in faults as displayed by topographical bumps on the fault surface and hardening of the internal structure near them. Ground-based LIDAR measurements on more than 30 normal and strike slip faults in different lithologies demonstrate that faults are not planar surfaces and roughness is strongly dependent on fault displacement. In addition to the well-understood roughness exemplified by abrasive striations and fracture segmentation, we found semi-elliptical topographical bumps with wavelengths of a few meters. In many faults the bumps are not spread equally on the surface and zones can be bumpier than others. The bumps are most easily identified on faults with total displacement of dozens to hundreds of meters. Smaller scale roughness on these faults is smoothed by abrasive processes. A key site in southern Oregon shows that the topographic bumps are closely tied to the internal structure of the fault zone. At this location, we combine LiDAR data with detailed structural analysis of the fault zone embedded in volcanic rocks. Here the bumps correlate with an abrupt change in the width of the cohesive cataclasite layer that is exposed under a thin ultracataclasite zone. In most of the exposures the cohesive layer thickness is 10-20 cm. However, under protruding bumps the layer is always thickened and the width can locally exceed one meter. Field and microscopic analyses show that the layer contains grains with dimensions ranging from less than 10 μ up to a few centimeters. There is clear evidence of internal flow, rotation and fracturing of the grains in the layer. X-Ray diffraction measurements of samples from the layer show that the bulk mineralogy is identical to that of the host rock, although thin section analysis suggests that some alteration and secondary mineralization of the grains also occurs. We infer that the cohesiveness of the layer is a consequence of repacking and cementation similar to deformation bands in granular material. By comparing the thickness of the cohesive layer on several secondary faults in this fault area we found that the average thickness of the layer increases with total slip. The correlation is nonlinear and the thickening rate decreases with increasing slip. We conclude that granular flow decreasing with increasing slip and thus the deformation is continually localized.

Seismotectonics of the Trans-Himalaya, Eastern Ladakh, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, A.

2016-12-01

The eastern Ladakh-Karakoram zone is the northwest part of the trans-Himalayan belt which bears signature of the India-Asia collision process in the form of suture zones and exhumed blocks that underwent deep subduction and intra-continental crustal scale fault zones.The seismotectonic scenario of northwest part of India-Asia collision zone has been studied by analyzing the local earthquake data (M 1.4-4.3) recorded by a broadband seismological network consisting of 14 stations. Focal Mechanism Solution (FPS) of 13 selected earthquakes were computed through waveform inversion of three-component broadband records. Depth distribution of the earthquakes and FPS of local earthquakes obtained through waveform inversion reveal the kinematics of the major fault zones present in Eastern Ladakh. The most pronounced cluster of seismicity is observed in the Karakoram Fault (KF) zone up to a depth of 65 km. The FPS reveals transpressive environment with the strike of inferred fault plane roughly parallel to the KF. It is inferred that the KF at least penetrates up to the lower crust and is a manifestation of active under thrusting of Indian lower crust beneath Tibet. Two clusters of micro seismicity is observed at a depth range of 5-20 km at north western and southeastern fringe of the Tso Morari gneiss dome which can be correlated to the activities along the Zildat fault and Karzok fault respectively. The FPSs estimated for representative earthquakes show thrust fault solutions for the Karzok fault and normal fault solution for the Zildat fault. It is inferred that the Zildat fault is acting as detachment, facilitating the exhumation of the Tso Morari dome. On the other hand, the Tso Morari dome is thrusting over the Karzok ophiolite on its southern margin along the Karzokfault, due to gravity collapse.

Inferring rupture characteristics using new databases for 3D slab geometry and earthquake rupture models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, G. P.; Plescia, S. M.; Moore, G.

2017-12-01

The U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center has recently published a database of finite fault models for globally distributed M7.5+ earthquakes since 1990. Concurrently, we have also compiled a database of three-dimensional slab geometry models for all global subduction zones, to update and replace Slab1.0. Here, we use these two new and valuable resources to infer characteristics of earthquake rupture and propagation in subduction zones, where the vast majority of large-to-great-sized earthquakes occur. For example, we can test questions that are fairly prevalent in seismological literature. Do large ruptures preferentially occur where subduction zones are flat (e.g., Bletery et al., 2016)? Can `flatness' be mapped to understand and quantify earthquake potential? Do the ends of ruptures correlate with significant changes in slab geometry, and/or bathymetric features entering the subduction zone? Do local subduction zone geometry changes spatially correlate with areas of low slip in rupture models (e.g., Moreno et al., 2012)? Is there a correlation between average seismogenic zone dip, and/or seismogenic zone width, and earthquake size? (e.g., Hayes et al., 2012; Heuret et al., 2011). These issues are fundamental to the understanding of earthquake rupture dynamics and subduction zone seismogenesis, and yet many are poorly understood or are still debated in scientific literature. We attempt to address these questions and similar issues in this presentation, and show how these models can be used to improve our understanding of earthquake hazard in subduction zones.

Bookshelf faulting and transform motion between rift segments of the Northern Volcanic Zone, Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, R. G.; White, R. S.; Greenfield, T. S.

2013-12-01

Plate spreading is segmented on length scales from 10 - 1,000 kilometres. Where spreading segments are offset, extensional motion has to transfer from one segment to another. In classical plate tectonics, mid-ocean ridge spreading centres are offset by transform faults, but smaller 'non-transform' offsets exist between slightly overlapping spreading centres which accommodate shear by a variety of geometries. In Iceland the mid-Atlantic Ridge is raised above sea level by the Iceland mantle plume, and is divided into a series of segments 20-150 km long. Using microseismicity recorded by a temporary array of 26 three-component seismometers during 2009-2012 we map bookshelf faulting between the offset Askja and Kverkfjöll rift segments in north Iceland. The micro-earthquakes delineate a series of sub-parallel strike-slip faults. Well constrained fault plane solutions show consistent left-lateral motion on fault planes aligned closely with epicentral trends. The shear couple across the transform zone causes left-lateral slip on the series of strike-slip faults sub-parallel to the rift fabric, causing clockwise rotations about a vertical axis of the intervening rigid crustal blocks. This accommodates the overall right-lateral transform motion in the relay zone between the two overlapping volcanic rift segments. The faults probably reactivated crustal weaknesses along the dyke intrusion fabric (parallel to the rift axis) and have since rotated ˜15° clockwise into their present orientation. The reactivation of pre-existing rift-parallel weaknesses is in contrast with mid-ocean ridge transform faults, and is an important illustration of a 'non-transform' offset accommodating shear between overlapping spreading segments.

Modelling of Earthquake History of the Knidos Fault Zone SW Turkey Using in-situ 36Cl Surface Exposure Dating by R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahin, S.; Yıldırım, C.; Sarıkaya, M. A.; Tuysuz, O.; Genç, S. C.; Aksoy, M. E.; Doksanaltı, M. E.; Benedetti, L.

2016-12-01

Cosmogenic surface exposure dating is based on the production of rare nuclides in exposed rocks, which interact with cosmic rays. Through modelling of measured 36Cl concentrations, we might obtain information of the history of the earthquake activity. Yet, there are several factors which may impact production of rare nuclides such as geometry of fault, topography, geographic location of study area, temporal variations of the Earth's magnetic field, self-cover and denudation rate on the scarp. Our study area, the Knidos Fault Zone, is located on the Datça Peninsula in the Southwestern Anatolia and contains several normal fault scarps formed within the limestone, which are appropriate to apply cosmogenic chlorine-36 dating. Since it has a well-preserved scarp, we have focused on the Mezarlık Segment of the fault zone, which has an average length of 300 m and height 12-15 m. 128 continuous samples from top to bottom of the fault scarp were collected to carry out analysis of cosmic 36Cl isotopes concentrations. Recent research elucidated each step of the application of this method by the Matlab (e.g. Schlagenhauf et al., 2010). It is vitally helpful to generate models activity of normal faults. We, however, wanted to build a user-friendly program through an open source programing language R that might be able to help those without knowledge of complex math, programming, making calculations as easy as possible. We have set out to obtain accurate conclusions to compare and contrast our results with synthetic profiles and previous studies of limestone fault scarps. The preliminary results indicate at least three major or more earthquakes/earthquakes cluster events occurred on the Mezarlık fault within the past 20 kyr; over 10 meters of displacement took place between early Holocene and late Pleistocene. Estimated ages of those three large slip events are 18.7, 15.1 and 10.8 ka respectively. This study was conducted with the Decision of the Council of Ministers with No. 2013/5387 on the date 30.09.2013 and was done with the permission of Knidos Presidency of excavation in accordance with the scope of Knidos Excavation and Research carried out on behalf of Selçuk University and Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This study was supported by the TÜBİTAK. (Project No: 113Y436)

Dynamic ruptures on faults of complex geometry: insights from numerical simulations, from large-scale curvature to small-scale fractal roughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, T.; Gabriel, A. A.

2016-12-01

The geometry of faults is subject to a large degree of uncertainty. As buried structures being not directly observable, their complex shapes may only be inferred from surface traces, if available, or through geophysical methods, such as reflection seismology. As a consequence, most studies aiming at assessing the potential hazard of faults rely on idealized fault models, based on observable large-scale features. Yet, real faults are known to be wavy at all scales, their geometric features presenting similar statistical properties from the micro to the regional scale. The influence of roughness on the earthquake rupture process is currently a driving topic in the computational seismology community. From the numerical point of view, rough faults problems are challenging problems that require optimized codes able to run efficiently on high-performance computing infrastructure and simultaneously handle complex geometries. Physically, simulated ruptures hosted by rough faults appear to be much closer to source models inverted from observation in terms of complexity. Incorporating fault geometry on all scales may thus be crucial to model realistic earthquake source processes and to estimate more accurately seismic hazard. In this study, we use the software package SeisSol, based on an ADER-Discontinuous Galerkin scheme, to run our numerical simulations. SeisSol allows solving the spontaneous dynamic earthquake rupture problem and the wave propagation problem with high-order accuracy in space and time efficiently on large-scale machines. In this study, the influence of fault roughness on dynamic rupture style (e.g. onset of supershear transition, rupture front coherence, propagation of self-healing pulses, etc) at different length scales is investigated by analyzing ruptures on faults of varying roughness spectral content. In particular, we investigate the existence of a minimum roughness length scale in terms of rupture inherent length scales below which the rupture ceases to be sensible. Finally, the effect of fault geometry on ground-motions, in the near-field, is considered. Our simulations feature a classical linear slip weakening on the fault and a viscoplastic constitutive model off the fault. The benefits of using a more elaborate fast velocity-weakening friction law will also be considered.

Possible strain partitioning structure between the Kumano fore-arc basin and the slope of the Nankai Trough accretionary prism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Kylara M.; Gulick, Sean P. S.; Bangs, Nathan L. B.; Moore, Gregory F.; Ashi, Juichiro; Park, Jin-Oh; Kuramoto, Shin'ichi; Taira, Asahiko

2010-05-01

A 12 km wide, 56 km long, three-dimensional (3-D) seismic volume acquired over the Nankai Trough offshore the Kii Peninsula, Japan, images the accretionary prism, fore-arc basin, and subducting Philippine Sea Plate. We have analyzed an unusual, trench-parallel depression (a "notch") along the seaward edge of the fore-arc Kumano Basin, just landward of the megasplay fault system. This bathymetric feature varies along strike, from a single, steep-walled, ˜3.5 km wide notch in the northeast to a broader, ˜5 km wide zone with several shallower linear depressions in the southwest. Below the notch we found both vertical faults and faults which dip toward the central axis of the depression. Dipping faults appear to have normal offset, consistent with the extension required to form a bathymetric low. Some of these dipping faults may join the central vertical fault(s) at depth, creating apparent flower structures. Offset on the vertical faults is difficult to determine, but the along-strike geometry of these faults makes predominantly normal or thrust motion unlikely. We conclude, therefore, that the notch feature is the bathymetric expression of a transtensional fault system. By considering only the along-strike variability of the megasplay fault, we could not explain a transform feature at the scale of the notch. Strike-slip faulting at the seaward edge of fore-arc basins is also observed in Sumatra and is there attributed to strain partitioning due to oblique convergence. The wedge and décollement strength variations which control the location of the fore-arc basins may therefore play a role in the position where an along-strike component of strain is localized. While the obliquity of convergence in the Nankai Trough is comparatively small (˜15°), we believe it generated the Kumano Basin Edge Fault Zone, which has implications for interpreting local measured stress orientations and suggests potential locations for strain-partitioning-related deformation in other subduction zones.

The southern Whidbey Island fault: An active structure in the Puget Lowland, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, S.Y.; Potter, C.J.; Armentrout, J.M.; Miller, J.J.; Finn, C.; Weaver, C.S.

1996-01-01

Information from seismic-reflection profiles, outcrops, boreholes, and potential field surveys is used to interpret the structure and history of the southern Whidbey Island fault in the Puget Lowland of western Washington. This northwest-trending fault comprises a broad (as wide as 6-11 km), steep, northeast-dipping zone that includes several splays with inferred strike-slip, reverse, and thrust displacement. Transpressional deformation along the southern Whidbey Island fault is indicated by alongstrike variations in structural style and geometry, positive flower structure, local unconformities, out-of-plane displacements, and juxtaposition of correlative sedimentary units with different histories. The southern Whidbey Island fault represents a segment of a boundary between two major crustal blocks. The Cascade block to the northeast is floored by diverse assemblages of pre-Tertiary rocks; the Coast Range block to the southwest is floored by lower Eocene marine basaltic rocks of the Crescent Formation. The fault probably originated during the early Eocene as a dextral strike-slip fault along the eastern side of a continental-margin rift. Bending of the fault and transpressional deformation began during the late middle Eocene and continues to the present. Oblique convergence and clockwise rotation along the continental margin are the inferred driving forces for ongoing deformation. Evidence for Quaternary movement on the southern Whidbey Island fault includes (1) offset and disrupted upper Quaternary strata imaged on seismic-reflection profiles; (2) borehole data that suggests as much as 420 m of structural relief on the Tertiary-Quaternary boundary in the fault zone; (3) several meters of displacement along exposed faults in upper Quaternary sediments; (4) late Quaternary folds with limb dips of as much as ???9??; (5) large-scale liquefaction features in upper Quaternary sediments within the fault zone; and (6) minor historical seismicity. The southern Whidbey Island fault should be considered capable of generating large earthquakes (Ms ???7) and represents a potential seismic hazard to residents of the Puget Lowland.

Fault model of the M7.1 intraslab earthquake on April 7 following the 2011 Great Tohoku earthquake (M9.0) estimated by the dense GPS network data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, S.; Ohta, Y.; Ohzono, M.; Kita, S.; Iinuma, T.; Demachi, T.; Tachibana, K.; Nakayama, T.; Hirahara, S.; Suzuki, S.; Sato, T.; Uchida, N.; Hasegawa, A.; Umino, N.

2011-12-01

We propose a source fault model of the large intraslab earthquake with M7.1 deduced from a dense GPS network. The coseismic displacements obtained by GPS data analysis clearly show the spatial pattern specific to intraslab earthquakes not only in the horizontal components but also the vertical ones. A rectangular fault with uniform slip was estimated by a non-linear inversion approach. The results indicate that the simple rectangular fault model can explain the overall features of the observations. The amount of moment released is equivalent to Mw 7.17. The hypocenter depth of the main shock estimated by the Japan Meteorological Agency is slightly deeper than the neutral plane between down-dip compression (DC) and down-dip extension (DE) stress zones of the double-planed seismic zone. This suggests that the depth of the neutral plane was deepened by the huge slip of the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku earthquake, and the rupture of the thrust M7.1 earthquake was initiated at that depth, although more investigations are required to confirm this idea. The estimated fault plane has an angle of ~60 degrees from the surface of subducting Pacific plate. It is consistent with the hypothesis that intraslab earthquakes are thought to be reactivation of the preexisting hydrated weak zones made in bending process of oceanic plates around outer-rise regions.

Fault-related structural permeability: Qualitative insights of the damage-zone from micro-CT analysis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomila, Rodrigo; Arancibia, Gloria; Nehler, Mathias; Bracke, Rolf; Stöckhert, Ferdinand

2016-04-01

Fault zones and their related structural permeability play a leading role in the migration of fluids through the continental crust. A first approximation to understanding the structural permeability conditions, and the estimation of its hydraulic properties (i.e. palaeopermeability and fracture porosity conditions) of the fault-related fracture mesh is the 2D analysis of its veinlets, usually made in thin-section. Those estimations are based in the geometrical parameters of the veinlets, such as average fracture density, length and aperture, which can be statistically modelled assuming penny-shaped fractures of constant radius and aperture within an anisotropic fracture system. Thus, this model is related to fracture connectivity, its length and to the cube of the fracture apertures. In this way, the estimated values presents their own inaccuracies owing to the method used. Therefore, the study of the real spatial distribution of the veinlets of the fault-related fracture mesh (3D), feasible with the use of micro-CT analyses, is a first order factor to unravel both, the real structural permeability conditions of a fault-zone, together with the validation of previous estimations made in 2D analyses in thin-sections. This early contribution shows the preliminary results of a fault-related fracture mesh and its 3D spatial distribution in the damage zone of the Jorgillo Fault (JF), an ancient subvertical left-lateral strike-slip fault exposed in the Atacama Fault System in northern Chile. The JF is a ca. 20 km long NNW-striking strike-slip fault with sinistral displacement of ca. 4 km. The methodology consisted of the drilling of vertically oriented plugs of 5 mm in diameter located at different distances from the JF core - damage zone boundary. Each specimen was, then, scanned with an x-ray micro-CT scanner (ProCon X-Ray CTalpha) in order to assess the fracture mesh. X-rays were generated in a transmission target x-ray tube with acceleration voltages ranging from 90-120 kV and target currents from 40-60 μA. The focal spot size on the diamond/tungsten target was about 5 μm. The x-ray beam was filtered using a 1 mm Aluminum plate before passing the sample. 1200 x-ray images were taken during a full rotation of the sample using an amorphous silicon flat panel detector with 1516x1900 pixels. This resulted in a voxel resolution of about 8 μm in the 3D data reconstructed from the images. Future work will be aimed in the images segmentation of the fault-related fracture mesh followed by the estimation of its hydraulic properties at the time of fracture sealing. Acknowledgements: This work is a contribution to the CONICYT- BMBF International Scientific Collaborative Research Program Project PCCI130025/FKZ01DN14033 and the FONDAP-CONICYT Project 15090013.

Sources, Fluxes, and Effects of Fluids in the Alpine Fault Zone, South Island, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menzies, C. D.; Teagle, D. A. H.; Niedermann, S.; Cox, S.; Craw, D.; Zimmer, M.; Cooper, M. J.; Erzinger, J.

2015-12-01

Historic ruptures on some plate boundary faults occur episodically. Fluids play a key role in modifying the chemical and physical properties of fault zones, which may prime them for repeated rupture by the generation of high pore fluid pressures. Modelling of fluid loss rates from fault zones has led to estimates of fluid fluxes required to maintain overpressure (Faulkner and Rutter, 2001), but fluid sources and fluxes, and permeability evolution in fault zones remain poorly constrained. High mountains in orogenic belts can drive meteoric water to the middle crust, and metamorphic water is generated during rock dehydration. Additionally, fluids from the mantle are transported into the crust when fluid pathways are created by tectonism or volcanism. Here we use geochemical tracers to determine fluid flow budgets for meteoric, metamorphic and mantle fluids at a major compressional tectonic plate boundary. The Alpine Fault marks the transpressional Pacific-Australian plate boundary through South Island of New Zealand, it has historically produced large earthquakes (Mw ~8) and is late in its 329±68 year seismic cycle, having last ruptured in 1717. We present strontium isotope ratios of hot springs and hydrothermal minerals that trace fluid flow paths in and around the Alpine Fault to illustrate that the fluid flow regime is restricted by low cross-fault permeability. Fluid-rock interaction limits cross-fault fluid flow by the precipitating clays and calcite that infill pore spaces and fractures in the Alpine Fault alteration zone. In contrast, helium isotopes ratios measured in hot springs near to the fault (0.15-0.81 RA) indicate the fault acts as a conduit for mantle fluids from below. Mantle fluid fluxes are similar to the San Andreas Fault (<1x10-5 m3m-2/yr) and insufficient to promote fault weakening. The metamorphic fluid flux is of similar magnitude to the mantle flux. The dominant fluid throughout the seismogenic zone is meteoric in origin (secondary mineral δDH2O = -45 to -87 ‰), but fluid channelling into the fault zone is required to maintain high pore fluid pressure that would promote fault weakening. Our results show that meteoric waters are primarily responsible for modifying fault zone permeability and for maintaining high pore fluid pressures that may assist episodic earthquake rupture.

Improving the resolution of the 2010 Haiti earthquake fault geometry using temporary seismometer deployments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douilly, R.; Haase, J. S.; Ellsworth, W. L.; Bouin, M.; Calais, E.; Armbruster, J. G.; Mercier De Lepinay, B. F.; Deschamps, A.; Saint Louis, M.; Meremonte, M. E.; Hough, S. E.

2011-12-01

Haiti has several active faults that are capable of producing large earthquakes such as the 2010 Mw 7.0 Haiti earthquake. This earthquake was not unexpected, given geodetic measurements showing strain accumulation on the Enriquillo Plantain Garden Fault Zone, the major fault system in southern Haiti (Manaker et al. 2008). GPS and INSAR data (Calais et al., 2010) show, however, that this rupture occurred on the previously unmapped Léogâne fault, a 60° north dipping oblique blind thrust located immediately north of the Enriquillo Fault. Following the earthquake, several groups installed temporary seismic stations to record aftershocks. Natural Resources Canada installed three broadband seismic stations, Géoazur installed 21 ocean bottom seismometers, L'Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris installed 5 broadband seismometers, and the United States Geological Survey deployed 17 short period and strong motion seismometers in and around Port-au-Prince. We use data from this complete set of stations, along with data from permanent regional stations, to relocate all of the events from March 17 to June 24, to determine the regional one-dimensional crustal structure and determine focal mechanisms. The aftershock locations from the combined data set clearly delineate the Léogâne fault. The strike and dip closely agrees with that of the global centroid moment tensor solution, but appears to be more steeply dipping than the finite fault inversions. The aftershocks also delineate a flat structure on the west side of the rupture zone and may indicate triggered seismicity on the Trois Baies fault, although the depths of these events are not as well constrained. There is no clear evidence for aftershocks on the other rupture segments inferred in the Hayes et al. (2010) mainshock rupture model. There is a cluster of aftershocks in the hanging wall near the western patch of high slip identified by Calais et al. (2010) and Meng et al. (2011), or central patch in the Hayes et al. (2010) model. We use first-motion focal mechanism solutions to clarify the relationship of the fault geometry to the mechanisms of the larger events.

Comparative study of two active faults in different stages of the earthquake cycle in central Japan -The Atera fault (with 1586 Tensho earthquake) and the Nojima fault (with 1995 Kobe earthquake)-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuda, T.; Omura, K.; Ikeda, R.

2003-12-01

National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) has been conducting _gFault zone drilling_h. Fault zone drilling is especially important in understanding the structure, composition, and physical properties of an active fault. In the Chubu district of central Japan, large active faults such as the Atotsugawa (with 1858 Hietsu earthquake) and the Atera (with 1586 Tensho earthquake) faults exist. After the occurrence of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, it has been widely recognized that direct measurements in fault zones by drilling. This time, we describe about the Atera fault and the Nojima fault. Because, these two faults are similar in geological situation (mostly composed of granitic rocks), so it is easy to do comparative study of drilling investigation. The features of the Atera fault, which have been dislocated by the 1586 Tensho earthquake, are as follows. Total length is about 70 km. That general trend is NW45 degree with a left-lateral strike slip. Slip rate is estimated as 3-5 m / 1000 years. Seismicity is very low at present and lithologies around the fault are basically granitic rocks and rhyolite. Six boreholes have been drilled from the depth of 400 m to 630 m. Four of these boreholes (Hatajiri, Fukuoka, Ueno and Kawaue) are located on a line crossing in a direction perpendicular to the Atera fault. In the Kawaue well, mostly fractured and alternating granitic rock continued from the surface to the bottom at 630 m. X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) is conducted to estimate the amount of major chemical elements using the glass bead method for core samples. The amounts of H20+ are about from 0.5 to 2.5 weight percent. This fractured zone is also characterized by the logging data such as low resistivity, low P-wave velocity, low density and high neutron porosity. The 1995 Kobe (Hyogo-ken Nanbu) earthquake occurred along the NE-SW-trending Rokko-Awaji fault system, and the Nojima fault appeared on the surface on Awaji Island when this rupture occurred. It is more than 10 km long with 1-2 m offset along the Nojima fault. About one year after the earthquake, NIED drilled a borehole (the Hirabayashi NIED borehole) and penetrated the Nojima fault. The Hirabayashi NIED borehole was drilled to a depth of 1838 m and recovered the drill core. The main types of rock intersected by the borehole are granodiorite and cataclastic fault rocks. Three fracture zones were recognized in cores at approximate depth of 1140 m, 1300 m and 1800 m. There is remarkable foliated blue-gray gouge at a depth of 1140 m. We investigate chemical compositions by XRF analysis in the fracture zone. The amounts of H20+ are about from 1.0 to 15.0 weight percent. We investigate mineral assemblage in both drilling cores by X-ray powder diffraction analysis. From the results, we can_ft recognize so difference between the two faults. But the amount of H2O+ is very different. In the Hirabayashi NIED core at a depth of 1140 m, there is about ten times as much as the average of the Kawaue core. This is probably due to the greater degree of wall-rock fracturing in the fracture zone. We suggest that this characteristic is associated with the fault activity at the time of the 1995 Kobe earthquake and the nature of fluid-rock interactions in the fracture zone.

Coulomb Stress Change and Seismic Hazard of Rift Zones in Southern Tibet after the 2015 Mw7.8 Nepal Earthquake and Its Mw7.3 Aftershock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Z.; Zha, X.; Lu, Z.

2015-12-01

In southern Tibet (30~34N, 80~95E), many north-trending rifts, such as Yadong-Gulu and Lunggar rifts, are characterized by internally drained graben or half-graben basins bounded by active normal faults. Some developed rifts have become a portion of important transportation lines in Tibet, China. Since 1976, eighty-seven >Mw5.0 earthquakes have happened in the rift regions, and fifty-five events have normal faulting focal mechanisms according to the GCMT catalog. These rifts and normal faults are associated with both the EW-trending extension of the southern Tibet and the convergence between Indian and Tibet. The 2015 Mw7.8 Nepal great earthquake and its Mw7.3 aftershock occurred at the main Himalayan Thrust zone and caused tremendous damages in Kathmandu region. Those earthquakes will lead to significant viscoelastic deformation and stress changes in the southern Tibet in the future. To evaluate the seismic hazard in the active rift regions in southern Tibet, we modeled the slip distribution of the 2015 Nepal great earthquakes using the InSAR displacement field from the ALOS-2 satellite SAR data, and calculated the Coulomb failure stress (CFS) on these active normal faults in the rift zones. Because the estimated CFS depends on the geometrical parameters of receiver faults, it is necessary to get the accurate fault parameters in the rift zones. Some historical earthquakes have been studied using the field data, teleseismic data and InSAR observations, but results are in not agreement with each other. In this study, we revaluated the geometrical parameters of seismogenic faults occurred in the rift zones using some high-quality coseismic InSAR observations and teleseismic body-wave data. Finally, we will evaluate the seismic hazard in the rift zones according to the value of the estimated CFS and aftershock distribution.

Spatial and Temporal Variation of in-situ Stress in and around Active Fault zones in Central Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, R.; Omura, K.; Matsuda, T.; Iio, Y.

2002-12-01

In the "Active Fault Zone Drilling Project in Japan," we have compared the relationship between the stress concentration state and the heterogeneous strength of an earthquake fault zone in different conditions. The Nojima fault which appeared on the surface by the 1995 Great Kobe earthquake (M=7.2) and the Neodani fault which appeared by the 1891 Nobi earthquake (M=8.0), have been drilled through their fault fracture zones. A similar experiment conducted on and research of the Atera fault, of which some parts have seemed to be dislocated by the 1586 Tensyo earthquake (M=7.9). We can use a deep borehole as a reliable tool to understand overall fault structure and composed materials directly. Additionally, the stress states in and around the fault fractured zones were obtained from in-situ stress measurements by the hydraulic fracturing method. Important phenomena such as rapid stress drop in the fault fracture zones were observed in the Neodani well (1300 m deep) and the Nojima well (1800 m) of the fault zone drillings, as well as in the Ashio well (2,000 m) in the focal area. In the Atera fault project, we have conducted integrated investigations by surface geophysical survey and drilling around the Atera fault. Four boreholes (400 m to 600 m deep) were located on a line crossing the fracture zone of the Atera fault. We noted that the stress magnitude decreases in the area closer to the center of the fracture zone. Furthermore the orientation of the maximum horizontal compressive stress was almost reverse of the fault moving direction. These results support the idea that the differential stress is extremely small at narrow zones adjoining fracture zones. We also noted that the frictional strength of the crust adjacent to the faults is high and the level of shear stress in the crust adjacent to the faults is principally controlled by the frictional strength of rock. We argue that the stress state observed in these sites exists only if the faults are quite "weak." As a temporal variation of stresses, crustal stress was recorded from 1978 to before the Kobe earthquake in and around the area where the earthquake occurred. By examining this data, the change in tectonic stress gradually increased prior to the earthquake. After the earthquake, the same boreholes were once again used to obtain new data. From these measurements, we were able to determine that there was a definite drop in the crustal stress in the area and that there was a change in the direction of the principal stresses. The continual measuring is essential to estimate the absolute stress magnitude that initiate earthquakes and control their propagation.

Earthquake geology of the Bulnay Fault (Mongolia)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rizza, Magali; Ritz, Jean-Franciois; Prentice, Carol S.; Vassallo, Ricardo; Braucher, Regis; Larroque, Christophe; Arzhannikova, A.; Arzhanikov, S.; Mahan, Shannon; Massault, M.; Michelot, J-L.; Todbileg, M.

2015-01-01

The Bulnay earthquake of July 23, 1905 (Mw 8.3-8.5), in north-central Mongolia, is one of the world's largest recorded intracontinental earthquakes and one of four great earthquakes that occurred in the region during the 20th century. The 375-km-long surface rupture of the left-lateral, strike-slip, N095°E trending Bulnay Fault associated with this earthquake is remarkable for its pronounced expression across the landscape and for the size of features produced by previous earthquakes. Our field observations suggest that in many areas the width and geometry of the rupture zone is the result of repeated earthquakes; however, in those areas where it is possible to determine that the geomorphic features are the result of the 1905 surface rupture alone, the size of the features produced by this single earthquake are singular in comparison to most other historical strike-slip surface ruptures worldwide. Along the 80 km stretch, between 97.18°E and 98.33°E, the fault zone is characterized by several meters width and the mean left-lateral 1905 offset is 8.9 ± 0.6 m with two measured cumulative offsets that are twice the 1905 slip. These observations suggest that the displacement produced during the penultimate event was similar to the 1905 slip. Morphotectonic analyses carried out at three sites along the eastern part of the Bulnay fault, allow us to estimate a mean horizontal slip rate of 3.1 ± 1.7 mm/yr over the Late Pleistocene-Holocene period. In parallel, paleoseismological investigations show evidence for two earthquakes prior to the 1905 event with recurrence intervals of ~2700-4000 years.

Palaeopermeability anisotropies of a strike-slip fault damage zone: 3D Insights of quantitative fluid flow from µCT analysis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomila, R.; Arancibia, G.; Nehler, M.; Bracke, R.; Morata, D.

2017-12-01

Fault zones and their related structural permeability are a key aspect in the migration of fluids through the continental crust. Therefore, the estimation of the hydraulic properties (palaeopermeability conditions; k) and the spatial distribution of the fracture mesh within the damage zone (DZ) are critical in the assessment of fault zones behavior for fluids. The study of the real spatial distribution of the veinlets of the fracture mesh (3D), feasible with the use of µCT analyses, is a first order factor to unravel both, the real structural permeability conditions of a fault-zone, and the validation of previous (and classical) estimations made in 2D analyses in thin-sections. This work shows the results of a fault-related fracture mesh and its 3D spatial distribution in the damage-zone of the Jorgillo Fault (JF), an ancient subvertical left-lateral strike-slip fault exposed in the Atacama Fault System in northern Chile. The JF is a ca. 20 km long NNW-striking strike-slip fault with sinistral displacement of ca. 4 km. The methodology consisted of drilling 5 mm vertically oriented plugs at several locations within the JF damage zone. Each specimen was scanned with an X-Ray µCT scanner, to assess the fracture mesh, with a voxel resolution of ca. 4.5 µm in the 3D reconstructed data. Tensor permeability modeling, using Lattice-Boltzmann Method, through the segmented microfracture mesh show GMkmin (geometric mean values) of 2.1x10-12 and 9.8x10-13 m2, and GMkmax of 6.4x10-12 and 2.1x10-12 m2. A high degree of anisotropy of the DZ permeability tensor both sides of the JF (eastern and western side, respectively) is observed, where the k values in the kmax plane are 2.4 and 1.9 times higher than the kmin direction at the time of fracture sealing. This style of anisotropy is consistent with the obtained for bedded sandstones supporting the idea that damage zones have an analogous effect - but vertically orientated - on bulk permeability (in low porosity rocks) as stratigraphic layering, where across-strike khorizontal of a fault is lower when compared with the kvertical and kfault parallel. Acknowledgements: This work is a contribution to FONDAP-CONICYT Project 15090013 and CONICYT- BMBF International Scientific Collaborative Research Program Project PCCI130025/FKZ01DN14033. R.G. Ph.D. is funded by CONICYT Scholarship 21140021.

Modeling the evolution of a ramp-flat-ramp thrust system: A geological application of DynEarthSol2D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, L.; Choi, E.; Bartholomew, M. J.

2013-12-01

DynEarthSol2D (available at http://bitbucket.org/tan2/dynearthsol2) is a robust, adaptive, two-dimensional finite element code that solves the momentum balance and the heat equation in Lagrangian form using unstructured meshes. Verified in a number of benchmark problems, this solver uses contingent mesh adaptivity in places where shear strain is focused (localization) and a conservative mapping assisted by marker particles to preserve phase and facies boundaries during remeshing. We apply this cutting-edge geodynamic modeling tool to the evolution of a thrust fault with a ramp-flat-ramp geometry. The overall geometry of the fault is constrained by observations in the northern part of the southern Appalachian fold and thrust belt. Brittle crust is treated as a Mohr-Coulomb plastic material. The thrust fault is a zone of a finite thickness but has a lower cohesion and friction angle than its surrounding rocks. When an intervening flat separates two distinct sequential ramps crossing different stratigraphic intervals, the thrust system will experience more complex deformations than those from a single thrust fault ramp. The resultant deformations associated with sequential ramps would exhibit a spectrum of styles, of which two end members correspond to ';overprinting' and ';interference'. Reproducing these end-member styles as well as intermediate ones, our models show that the relative importance of overprinting versus interference is a sensitive function of initial fault geometry and hanging wall displacement. We further present stress and strain histories extracted from the models. If clearly distinguishable, they will guide the interpretation of field observations on thrust faults.

Estimating Fault Friction From Seismic Signals in the Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouet-Leduc, Bertrand; Hulbert, Claudia; Bolton, David C.; Ren, Christopher X.; Riviere, Jacques; Marone, Chris; Guyer, Robert A.; Johnson, Paul A.

2018-02-01

Nearly all aspects of earthquake rupture are controlled by the friction along the fault that progressively increases with tectonic forcing but in general cannot be directly measured. We show that fault friction can be determined at any time, from the continuous seismic signal. In a classic laboratory experiment of repeating earthquakes, we find that the seismic signal follows a specific pattern with respect to fault friction, allowing us to determine the fault's position within its failure cycle. Using machine learning, we show that instantaneous statistical characteristics of the seismic signal are a fingerprint of the fault zone shear stress and frictional state. Further analysis of this fingerprint leads to a simple equation of state quantitatively relating the seismic signal power and the friction on the fault. These results show that fault zone frictional characteristics and the state of stress in the surroundings of the fault can be inferred from seismic waves, at least in the laboratory.

Blind test of methods for obtaining 2-D near-surface seismic velocity models from first-arrival traveltimes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zelt, Colin A.; Haines, Seth; Powers, Michael H.; Sheehan, Jacob; Rohdewald, Siegfried; Link, Curtis; Hayashi, Koichi; Zhao, Don; Zhou, Hua-wei; Burton, Bethany L.; Petersen, Uni K.; Bonal, Nedra D.; Doll, William E.

2013-01-01

Seismic refraction methods are used in environmental and engineering studies to image the shallow subsurface. We present a blind test of inversion and tomographic refraction analysis methods using a synthetic first-arrival-time dataset that was made available to the community in 2010. The data are realistic in terms of the near-surface velocity model, shot-receiver geometry and the data's frequency and added noise. Fourteen estimated models were determined by ten participants using eight different inversion algorithms, with the true model unknown to the participants until it was revealed at a session at the 2011 SAGEEP meeting. The estimated models are generally consistent in terms of their large-scale features, demonstrating the robustness of refraction data inversion in general, and the eight inversion algorithms in particular. When compared to the true model, all of the estimated models contain a smooth expression of its two main features: a large offset in the bedrock and the top of a steeply dipping low-velocity fault zone. The estimated models do not contain a subtle low-velocity zone and other fine-scale features, in accord with conventional wisdom. Together, the results support confidence in the reliability and robustness of modern refraction inversion and tomographic methods.

Estimating Earthquake Hazards in the San Pedro Shelf Region, Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baher, S.; Fuis, G.; Normark, W. R.; Sliter, R.

2003-12-01

The San Pedro Shelf (SPS) region of the inner California Borderland offshore southern California poses a significant seismic hazard to the contiguous Los Angeles Area, as a consequence of late Cenozoic compressional reactivation of mid-Cenozoic extensional faults. The extent of the hazard, however, is poorly understood because of the complexity of fault geometries and uncertainties in earthquake locations. The major faults in the region include the Palos Verdes, THUMS Huntington Beach and the Newport-Inglewood fault zones. We report here the analysis and interpretation of wide-angle seismic-reflection and refraction data recorded as part of the Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment line 1 (LARSE 1), multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection data obtained by the USGS (1998-2000) and industry borehole stratigraphy. The onshore-offshore velocity model, which is based on forward modeling of the refracted P-wave arrival times, is used to depth migrate the LARSE 1 section. Borehole stratigraphy allows correlation of the onshore and offshore velocity models because state regulations prevent collection of deep-penetration acoustic data nearshore (within 3 mi.). Our refraction study is an extension of ten Brink et al., 2000 tomographic inversion of LARSE I data. They found high velocities (> 6 km/sec) at about ~3.5 km depth from the Catalina Fault (CF) to the SPS. We find these velocities, shallower (around 2 km depth) beneath the Catalina Ridge (CR) and SPS, but at a depth 2.5-3.0 km elsewhere in the study region. This change in velocity structure can provide additional constraints for the tectonic processes of this region. The structural horizons observed in the LARSE 1 reflection data are tied to adjacent MCS lines. We find localized folding and faulting at depth (~2 km) southwest of the CR and on the SPS slope. Quasi-laminar beds, possible of pelagic origin follow the contours of earlier folded (wavelength ~1 km) and faulted Cenozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Depth to basement, where observed, is approx. 1.7 km. beneath the base then shallows to approx. 1 km at the top of the SPS. This corresponds to the results obtained by Fisher et al. (in press) and Wright (1991). The pattern of faulting changes from southwest to the northeast. West of CF, faulting is confined to the pelagic and older units. Closely spaced faulting (~0.75 km) is prominent between CF and Avalon Knoll (AV), while generally more widely spaced faults (~5 km) with localized fracture zones is observed from AV to the SPS. The SPS is dominated by major faults such as the Cabrillo, Palos Verdes, THUMS Huntington Beach and Newport-Inglewood fault zones. The Cabrillo and Palos Verdes fault are major stratigraphic discontinuity with laminar beds (~30 cm) adjacent to gently folded sediments (wavelength ~1.5 km). There is evidence of recent displacement on the Cabrillo fault.

Along strike variation of active fault arrays and their effect on landscape morphology of the northwestern Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nennewitz, Markus; Thiede, Rasmus; Bookhagen, Bodo

2017-04-01

The location and magnitude of the active deformation of the Himalaya has been debated for decades, but several aspects remain unknown. For instance, the spatial distribution of the deformation and the shortening that ultimately sustains Himalayan topography and the activity of major fault zones are not well constrained neither for the present day and nor for Holocene and Quarternary timescales. Because of these weakly constrained factors, many previous studies have assumed that the structural setting and the fault geometry of the Himalaya is continuous along strike and similar to fault geometries of central Nepal. Thus, the sub-surface structural information from central Nepal have been projected along strike, but have not been verified at other locations. In this study we use digital topographic analysis of the NW Himalaya. We obtained catchment-averaged, normalized steepness indexes of longitudinal river profiles with drainage basins ranging between 5 and 250km2 and analyzed the relative change in their spatial distribution both along and across strike. More specific, we analyzed the relative changes of basins located in the footwall and in the hanging wall of major fault zones. Under the assumption that along strike changes in the normalized steepness index are primarily controlled by the activity of thrust segments, we revealed new insights in the tectonic deformation and uplift pattern. Our results show three different segments along the northwest Himalaya, which are located, from east to west, in Garwhal, Chamba and Kashmir Himalaya. These have formed independent orogenic segments characterized by significant changes in their structural architecture and fault geometry. Moreover, their topographic changes indicate strong variations on fault displacement rates across first-order fault zones. With the help of along- and across-strike profiles, we were able to identify fault segments of pronounced fault activity across MFT, MBT, and the PT2 and identify the location of along strike changes which are interpreted as their segment boundaries. In addition to the steepness indices we use the accumulation of elevation data as a proxy for the strain that has been accumulated over a specific distance. Thus, despite the changes in topography, structural setting, and kinematics along the NW Himalaya we observe that the topography of the orogen is in good agreement with recently measured convergence rates obtained from GPS campaigns. These data suggest reduced crustal shortening towards the northwest. Deformation in the Central Himalaya has been explained either by in-sequence thrusting along the MFT that localize the entire Holocene shortening or a combination of this with out-of-sequence thrusting in the vicinity of the PT2. In contrast to these conceptual models, we propose that the segmented NW Himalaya is a product of the synchronous activity of different fault segments, accommodating the crustal shortening along three independently deforming organic segments. The lateral discontinuity of these segments is responsible for the accommodation of the variation in the deformation and the maintenance of the topography of the Himalaya in NW India.

Looking inside the microseismic cloud using seismic interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matzel, E.; Rhode, A.; Morency, C.; Templeton, D. C.; Pyle, M. L.

2015-12-01

Microseismicity provides a direct means of measuring the physical characteristics of active tectonic features such as fault zones. Thousands of microquakes are often associated with an active site. This cloud of microseismicity helps define the tectonically active region. When processed using novel geophysical techniques, we can isolate the energy sensitive to the faulting region, itself. The virtual seismometer method (VSM) is a technique of seismic interferometry that provides precise estimates of the GF between earthquakes. In many ways the converse of ambient noise correlation, it is very sensitive to the source parameters (location, mechanism and magnitude) and to the Earth structure in the source region. In a region with 1000 microseisms, we can calculate roughly 500,000 waveforms sampling the active zone. At the same time, VSM collapses the computation domain down to the size of the cloud of microseismicity, often by 2-3 orders of magnitude. In simple terms VSM involves correlating the waveforms from a pair of events recorded at an individual station and then stacking the results over all stations to obtain the final result. In the far-field, when most of the stations in a network fall along a line between the two events, the result is an estimate of the GF between the two, modified by the source terms. In this geometry each earthquake is effectively a virtual seismometer recording all the others. When applied to microquakes, this alignment is often not met, and we also need to address the effects of the geometry between the two microquakes relative to each seismometer. Nonetheless, the technique is quite robust, and highly sensitive to the microseismic cloud. Using data from the Salton Sea geothermal region, we demonstrate the power of the technique, illustrating our ability to scale the technique from the far-field, where sources are well separated, to the near field where their locations fall within each other's uncertainty ellipse. VSM provides better illumination of the complex subsurface by generating precise, high frequency estimates of the GF and resolution of seismic properties between every pair of events. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344

Assessment of the geothermal potential of fault zones in Germany by numerical modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuder, Jörg

2017-04-01

Fault zones with significantly better permeabilities than host rocks can act as natural migration paths for ascending fluids that are able to transport thermal energy from deep geological formations. Under these circumstances, fault zones are interesting for geothermal utilization especially those in at least 7 km depth (Jung et al. 2002, Paschen et al. 2003). One objective of the joint project "The role of deep rooting fault zones for geothermal energy utilization" supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy was the evaluation of the geothermal potential of fault zones in Germany by means of numerical modelling with COMSOL. To achieve this goal a method was developed to estimate the potential of regional generalized fault zones in a simple but yet sophisticated way. The main problem for the development of a numerical model is the lack of geological and hydrological data. To address this problem the geothermal potential of a cube with 1 km side length including a 20 meter broad, 1000 m high and 1000 m long fault zone was calculated as a unified model with changing parameter sets. The properties of the surrounding host rock and the fault zone are assumed homogenous. The numerical models were calculated with a broad variety of fluid flow, rock and fluid property parameters for the depths of 3000-4000 m, 4000-5000 m, 5000-6000 m and 6000-7000 m. The fluid parameters are depending on temperature, salt load and initial pressure. The porosity and permeability values are provided by the database of the geothermal information system (GeotIS). The results are summarized in a table of values of geothermal energy modelled with different parameter sets and depths. The geothermal potential of fault zones in Germany was then calculated on the basis of this table and information of the geothermal atlas of Germany (2016).

Fault linkages and activities in a transition zone of compression to transpression in Hsinchu area, northwestern Taiwan based on 3-D structural geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, H.; Hu, J.; Huang, S.; Huang, C.

2010-12-01

The Taiwan orogenic belt is resulted from the convergence between Philippine Sea plate and Eurasian plate. Serious earthquakes occurred in west and northwest flanks of main mountain belt of the island in 1935 and 1999, caused more than 5000 deaths in total. In addition, Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park (HSIP) located in northwest Taiwan is one of the world's most important areas for semiconductor manufacturing. There are more than 400 technology companies in this park, and accounted for 10% of Taiwan's GDP. Consequently, active Hsincheng and Hsinchu faults in study area become the major threat of the industrial park, thus the understanding of complex subsurface seismogenic structures are crucial issue of earthquake hazard assessment and mitigation in Hsinchu area. Several geological cross sections have been constructed and discussed to suggest possible deep structures of these two major faults in previous study. However, how subsurface fault system and folding intersect still remains unclear and the evolution of fault and fold geometry in Hsinchu area is not fully understood. The main purpose of this study is to clarify the spatial linkage between the major thrust faults, folds, and adjacent transverse structures. In this study, we first construct the NW-SE trending cross-section which is sub-parallel to the regional shortening direction, and then balance this cross section to derive the structure evolution in Hsinchu area. We also incorporate several cross-sections and relocated seismicity to get detail 3D fault geometry for the numerical modeling in order to assess the interseismic strain accumulation and seismic potential based on geodetic measurements.

Dynamic rupture simulation of the 2017 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura (New Zealand) earthquake: Is spontaneous multi-fault rupture expected?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ando, R.; Kaneko, Y.

2017-12-01

The coseismic rupture of the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake propagated over the distance of 150 km along the NE-SW striking fault system in the northern South Island of New Zealand. The analysis of In-SAR, GPS and field observations (Hamling et al., 2017) revealed that the most of the rupture occurred along the previously mapped active faults, involving more than seven major fault segments. These fault segments, mostly dipping to northwest, are distributed in a quite complex manner, manifested by fault branching and step-over structures. Back-projection rupture imaging shows that the rupture appears to jump between three sub-parallel fault segments in sequence from the south to north (Kaiser et al., 2017). The rupture seems to be terminated on the Needles fault in Cook Strait. One of the main questions is whether this multi-fault rupture can be naturally explained with the physical basis. In order to understand the conditions responsible for the complex rupture process, we conduct fully dynamic rupture simulations that account for 3-D non-planar fault geometry embedded in an elastic half-space. The fault geometry is constrained by previous In-SAR observations and geological inferences. The regional stress field is constrained by the result of stress tensor inversion based on focal mechanisms (Balfour et al., 2005). The fault is governed by a relatively simple, slip-weakening friction law. For simplicity, the frictional parameters are uniformly distributed as there is no direct estimate of them except for a shallow portion of the Kekerengu fault (Kaneko et al., 2017). Our simulations show that the rupture can indeed propagate through the complex fault system once it is nucleated at the southernmost segment. The simulated slip distribution is quite heterogeneous, reflecting the nature of non-planar fault geometry, fault branching and step-over structures. We find that optimally oriented faults exhibit larger slip, which is consistent with the slip model of Hamling et al. (2017). We conclude that the first order characteristics of this event may be interpreted by the effect of irregularity in the fault geometry.

Characterization of Seismogenic Faults of Central Japan by Geophysical Survey and Drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, R.; Omura, K.; Matsuda, T.

2004-12-01

Integrated investigations on seismogenic faults by geophysical survey and drilling are indispensable to better understand deep structure and physical properties of a fault fracture zone. In central Japan, three large active faults, Neodani, Atotsugawa and Atera faults, exist and are remarkable for research because of the potentiality of a scale of magnitude 7 to 8 class earthquake and the different characteristics of the seismogenic activities in these faults. Each individual fault shows its own characteristic features, which may reflect different stages in an earthquake cycle. High seismicity is concentrated with a clear lineation on and around the Atotsugawa fault, which is recognized as aftershocks from the latest event of the 1858 Hida earthquake (M=7.0). On the other hand, extremely low seismicity is found around the Atera fault, of which some parts seemed to be dislocated by the 1586 Tensyo earthquake (M=7.9). As an example of the results of study at the Atera fault, we obtained a wide variety of fault structures, composed materials, states of crustal stress and strengths of the fault from the geophysical survey (resistivity and gravity) and in-situ borehole experiments. Our findings are as follows: (1) The fracture zone around the Atera fault shows a very wide and complex fracture structure, from approximately 1 km to 4 km wide. (2) The average slip rate was estimated to be 5.3 m /1000 yr by the distribution of basalt in the age of 1.5 Ma as determined by radioactive dating. We inferred that the Atera fault has been repeatedly active in recent geologic time; however, it is in a very weak state at present. (3) Stress magnitude decreases in the area closer to the center of the fracture zone. These are important results to evaluate fault activity. Recent in-situ downhole measurements and coring through active faults have provided us with new insights into the physical properties of fault zones. In the vicinity of the epicenter of the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake, we have conducted an integrated study by using 1,000 m to 1,800 m deep drilling wells. In particular, the Nojima-Hirabayashi borehole was drilled to a depth of 1,838 m and directly intersected the Nojima fault. Three possible fault strands were detected at depths of 1,140 m, 1,313 m and 1,800 m. Major results obtained from this study include the following: (1) Shear stress around the fault zone is very small, and the orientation of the maximum horizontal compression is perpendicular to the surface trace of faults. (2) From the results of a heat flow study, the lower cut-off depth of the aftershocks was estimated to be roughly 300 _E#8249;C. (3) Cores were classified into several types of fault rocks, and an asymmetric distribution pattern of these fault rocks in the fracture zones was identified. (4) Country rock is characterized by very low permeability and high strength. (5) Resistivity structure can be explained by a model of a fault extending to greater depths but with low resistivity. The integrated study by geophysical survey, drilling and core analyses, downhole measurements and long-term monitoring directly within these fault zones, provide us with characteristic features and dynamics of active faults.

Structural characteristics and implication on tectonic evolution of the Daerbute strike-slip fault in West Junggar area, NW China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Kongyou; Pei, Yangwen; Li, Tianran; Wang, Xulong; Liu, Yin; Liu, Bo; Ma, Chao; Hong, Mei

2018-03-01

The Daerbute fault zone, located in the northwestern margin of the Junggar basin, in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, is a regional strike-slip fault with a length of 400 km. The NE-SW trending Daerbute fault zone presents a distinct linear trend in plain view, cutting through both the Zair Mountain and the Hala'alate Mountain. Because of the intense contraction and shearing, the rocks within the fault zone experienced high degree of cataclasis, schistosity, and mylonization, resulting in rocks that are easily eroded to form a valley with a width of 300-500 m and a depth of 50-100 m after weathering and erosion. The well-exposed outcrops along the Daerbute fault zone present sub-horizontal striations and sub-vertical fault steps, indicating sub-horizontal shearing along the observed fault planes. Flower structures and horizontal drag folds are also observed in both the well-exposed outcrops and high-resolution satellite images. The distribution of accommodating strike-slip splay faults, e.g., the 973-pluton fault and the Great Jurassic Trough fault, are in accordance with the Riedel model of simple shear. The seismic and time-frequency electromagnetic (TFEM) sections also demonstrate the typical strike-slip characteristics of the Daerbute fault zone. Based on detailed field observations of well-exposed outcrops and seismic sections, the Daerbute fault can be subdivided into two segments: the western segment presents multiple fault cores and damage zones, whereas the eastern segment only presents a single fault core, in which the rocks experienced a higher degree of rock cataclasis, schistosity, and mylonization. In the central overlapping portion between the two segments, the sediments within the fault zone are primarily reddish sandstones, conglomerates, and some mudstones, of which the palynological tests suggest middle Permian as the timing of deposition. The deformation timing of the Daerbute fault was estimated by integrating the depocenters' basinward migration and initiation of the splay faults (e.g., the Great Jurassic Trough fault and the 973-pluton fault). These results indicate that there were probably two periods of faulting deformation for the Daerbute fault. By integrating our study with previous studies, we speculate that the Daerbute fault experienced a two-phase strike-slip faulting deformation, commencing with the initial dextral strike-slip faulting in mid-late Permian, and then being inversed to sinistral strike-slip faulting since the Triassic. The results of this study can provide useful insights for the regional tectonics and local hydrocarbon exploration.

Influence of fault trend, fault bends, and fault convergence on shallow structure, geomorphology, and hazards, Hosgri strike-slip fault, offshore central California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, S. Y.; Watt, J. T.; Hartwell, S. R.

2012-12-01

We mapped a ~94-km-long portion of the right-lateral Hosgri Fault Zone from Point Sal to Piedras Blancas in offshore central California using high-resolution seismic reflection profiles, marine magnetic data, and multibeam bathymetry. The database includes 121 seismic profiles across the fault zone and is perhaps the most comprehensive reported survey of the shallow structure of an active strike-slip fault. These data document the location, length, and near-surface continuity of multiple fault strands, highlight fault-zone heterogeneity, and demonstrate the importance of fault trend, fault bends, and fault convergences in the development of shallow structure and tectonic geomorphology. The Hosgri Fault Zone is continuous through the study area passing through a broad arc in which fault trend changes from about 338° to 328° from south to north. The southern ~40 km of the fault zone in this area is more extensional, resulting in accommodation space that is filled by deltaic sediments of the Santa Maria River. The central ~24 km of the fault zone is characterized by oblique convergence of the Hosgri Fault Zone with the more northwest-trending Los Osos and Shoreline Faults. Convergence between these faults has resulted in the formation of local restraining and releasing fault bends, transpressive uplifts, and transtensional basins of varying size and morphology. We present a hypothesis that links development of a paired fault bend to indenting and bulging of the Hosgri Fault by a strong crustal block translated to the northwest along the Shoreline Fault. Two diverging Hosgri Fault strands bounding a central uplifted block characterize the northern ~30 km of the Hosgri Fault in this area. The eastern Hosgri strand passes through releasing and restraining bends; the releasing bend is the primary control on development of an elongate, asymmetric, "Lazy Z" sedimentary basin. The western strand of the Hosgri Fault Zone passes through a significant restraining bend and dies out northward where we propose that its slip transfers to active structures in the Piedras Blancas fold belt. Given the continuity of the Hosgri Fault Zone through our study area, earthquake hazard assessments should incorporate a minimum rupture length of 110 km. Our data do not constrain lateral slip rates on the Hosgri, which probably vary along the fault (both to the north and south) as different structures converge and diverge but are likely in the geodetically estimated range of 2 to 4 mm/yr. More focused mapping of lowstand geomorphic features (e.g., channels, paleoshorelines) has the potential to provide better constraints. The post-Last-Glacial Maximum unconformity is an important surface for constraining vertical deformation, yielding local fault offset rates that may be as high as 1.4 mm/yr and off-fault deformation rates as high as 0.5 mm/yr. These vertical rates are short-term and not sustainable over longer geologic time, emphasizing the complex evolution and dynamics of strike-slip zones.

Effect of fault roughness on aftershock distribution and post co-seismic strain accumulation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aslam, K.; Daub, E. G.

2017-12-01

We perform physics-based simulations of earthquake rupture propagation on geometrically complex strike-slip faults. We consider many different realization of the fault roughness and obtain heterogeneous stress fields by performing dynamic rupture simulation of large earthquakes. We calculate the Coulomb failure function (CFF) for all these realizations so that we can quantify zones of stress increase/shadows surrounding the main fault and compare our results to seismic catalogs. To do this comparison, we use relocated earthquake catalogs from Northern and Southern California. We specify the range of fault roughness parameters based on past observational studies. The Hurst exponent (H) varies in range from 0.5 to 1 and RMS height to wavelength ratio ( RMS deviation of a fault profile from planarity) has values between 10-2 to 10-3. For any realization of fault roughness, the Probability density function (PDF) values relative to the mean CFF change show a wider spread near the fault and this spread squeezes into a narrow band as we move away from fault. For lower value of RMS ratio ( 10-3), we see bigger zones of stress change near the hypocenter and for higher value of RMS ratio ( 10-2), we see alternate zones of stress increase/decrease surrounding the fault to have comparable lengths. We also couple short-term dynamic rupture simulation with long-term tectonic modelling. We do this by giving the stress output from one of the dynamic rupture simulation (of a single realization of fault roughness) to long term tectonic model (LTM) as initial condition and then run LTM over duration of seismic cycle. This short term and long term coupling enables us to understand how heterogeneous stresses due to fault geometry influence the dynamics of strain accumulation in the post-seismic and inter-seismic phase of seismic cycle.

The transtensional offshore portion of the northern San Andreas fault: Fault zone geometry, late Pleistocene to Holocene sediment deposition, shallow deformation patterns, and asymmetric basin growth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beeson, Jeffrey W.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Goldfinger, Chris

2017-01-01

We mapped an ~120 km offshore portion of the northern San Andreas fault (SAF) between Point Arena and Point Delgada using closely spaced seismic reflection profiles (1605 km), high-resolution multibeam bathymetry (~1600 km2), and marine magnetic data. This new data set documents SAF location and continuity, associated tectonic geomorphology, shallow stratigraphy, and deformation. Variable deformation patterns in the generally narrow (∼1 km wide) fault zone are largely associated with fault trend and with transtensional and transpressional fault bends.We divide this unique transtensional portion of the offshore SAF into six sections along and adjacent to the SAF based on fault trend, deformation styles, seismic stratigraphy, and seafloor bathymetry. In the southern region of the study area, the SAF includes a 10-km-long zone characterized by two active parallel fault strands. Slip transfer and long-term straightening of the fault trace in this zone are likely leading to transfer of a slice of the Pacific plate to the North American plate. The SAF in the northern region of the survey area passes through two sharp fault bends (∼9°, right stepping, and ∼8°, left stepping), resulting in both an asymmetric lazy Z–shape sedimentary basin (Noyo basin) and an uplifted rocky shoal (Tolo Bank). Seismic stratigraphic sequences and unconformities within the Noyo basin correlate with the previous 4 major Quaternary sea-level lowstands and record basin tilting of ∼0.6°/100 k.y. Migration of the basin depocenter indicates a lateral slip rate on the SAF of 10–19 mm/yr for the past 350 k.y.Data collected west of the SAF on the south flank of Cape Mendocino are inconsistent with the presence of an offshore fault strand that connects the SAF with the Mendocino Triple Junction. Instead, we suggest that the SAF previously mapped onshore at Point Delgada continues onshore northward and transitions to the King Range thrust.

From Subduction to a Compressional transform system: Diffuse Deformation Processes at the Southeastern Boundary of the Caribbean Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deville, E.; Padron, C.; Huyghe, P.; Callec, Y.; Lallemant, S.; Lebrun, J.; Mascle, A.; Mascle, G.; Noble, M.

2006-12-01

Geophysical data acquired in the southeastern Caribbean marine area (CARAMBA survey of the French O/V Atalante) provide new information about the deformation processes occurring in this subduction-to-strike-slip transitions zone. The 65 000 km2 of multibeam data and 5600 km of seismic reflection and 3.5 kHz profiles which have been collected evidence that the connection between the Barbados accretionary prism and the south Caribbean transform system is partitioned between a wide variety of recently active tectonic superficial features (complex folding, diffuse faulting, and mud volcanism), which accommodate the relative displacement between the Caribbean and the South America plates. The active deformation within the sedimentary pile is mostly aseismic (creeping) and this deformation is relatively diffuse over a large diffuse plate boundary. There is no direct fault connection between the front of the Barbados prism and the strike-slip system of northern Venezuela. The toe thrust system at the southern edge of the Barbados prism, exhibits clear en-echelon geometry. The geometry of the syntectonic deposits evidence the diachronism of the deformation processes. Notably, it is well evidenced that early folds have been sealed by the recent turbidite deposits, whereas, some of the fold and thrust structures were active recently. Within this active compressional region, extension growth faults develop on the platform and on the slope of the Orinoco delta along a WNW-ESE trending en-echelon fault system that we called the Orinoco Delta Fault Zone (ODFZ). This fault system is clearly oblique with respect to the present-day Orinoco delta slope. These faults are not simply related to a passive gravitary collapse of the sediments accumulated on the Orinoco platform. Though there a decoupling between the shallow deformation processes in the sediments and the deep deformation characterized by earthquake activity, the ODFZ is inferred to be partly controlled by deep structures associated the shearing of the lithosphere at depth (probably at the Continent-Ocean Boundary).

Shallow seismic imaging of folds above the Puente Hills blind-thrust fault, Los Angeles, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pratt, T.L.; Shaw, J.H.; Dolan, J.F.; Christofferson, S.A.; Williams, R.A.; Odum, J.K.; Plesch, A.

2002-01-01

High-resolution seismic reflection profiles image discrete folds in the shallow subsurface (<600 m) above two segments of the Puente Hills blind-thrust fault system, Los Angeles basin, California. The profiles demonstrate late Quaternary activity at the fault tip, precisely locate the axial surfaces of folds within the upper 100 m, and constrain the geometry and kinematics of recent folding. The Santa Fe Springs segment of the Puente Hills fault zone shows an upward-narrowing kink band with an active anticlinal axial surface, consistent with fault-bend folding above an active thrust ramp. The Coyote Hills segment shows an active synclinal axial surface that coincides with the base of a 9-m-high scarp, consistent with tip-line folding or the presence of a backthrust. The seismic profiles pinpoint targets for future geologic work to constrain slip rates and ages of past events on this important fault system.

Seismic evidence for rock damage and healing on the San Andreas fault associated with the 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Li, Y.-G.; Chen, P.; Cochran, E.S.; Vidale, J.E.; Burdette, T.

2006-01-01

We deployed a dense linear array of 45 seismometers across and along the San Andreas fault near Parkfield a week after the M 6.0 Parkfield earthquake on 28 September 2004 to record fault-zone seismic waves generated by aftershocks and explosions. Seismic stations and explosions were co-sited with our previous experiment conducted in 2002. The data from repeated shots detonated in the fall of 2002 and 3 months after the 2004 M 6.0 mainshock show ???1.0%-1.5% decreases in seismic-wave velocity within an ???200-m-wide zone along the fault strike and smaller changes (0.2%-0.5%) beyond this zone, most likely due to the coseismic damage of rocks during dynamic rupture in the 2004 M 6.0 earthquake. The width of the damage zone characterized by larger velocity changes is consistent with the low-velocity waveguide model on the San Andreas fault, near Parkfield, that we derived from fault-zone trapped waves (Li et al., 2004). The damage zone is not symmetric but extends farther on the southwest side of the main fault trace. Waveform cross-correlations for repeated aftershocks in 21 clusters, with a total of ???130 events, located at different depths and distances from the array site show ???0.7%-1.1% increases in S-wave velocity within the fault zone in 3 months starting a week after the earthquake. The velocity recovery indicates that the damaged rock has been healing and regaining the strength through rigidity recovery with time, most likely . due to the closure of cracks opened during the mainshock. We estimate that the net decrease in seismic velocities within the fault zone was at least ???2.5%, caused by the 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield earthquake. The healing rate was largest in the earlier stage of the postmainshock healing process. The magnitude of fault healing varies along the rupture zone, being slightly larger for the healing beneath Middle Mountain, correlating well with an area of large mapped slip. The fault healing is most prominent at depths above ???7 km.

Self-constrained inversion of microgravity data along a segment of the Irpinia fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo Re, Davide; Florio, Giovanni; Ferranti, Luigi; Ialongo, Simone; Castiello, Gabriella

2016-01-01

A microgravity survey was completed to precisely locate and better characterize the near-surface geometry of a recent fault with small throw in a mountainous area in the Southern Apennines (Italy). The site is on a segment of the Irpinia fault, which is the source of the M6.9 1980 earthquake. This fault cuts a few meter of Mesozoic carbonate bedrock and its younger, mostly Holocene continental deposits cover. The amplitude of the complete Bouguer anomaly along two profiles across the fault is about 50 μGal. The data were analyzed and interpreted according to a self-constrained strategy, where some rapid estimation of source parameters was later used as constraint for the inversion. The fault has been clearly identified and localized in its horizontal position and depth. Interesting features in the overburden have been identified and their interpretation has allowed us to estimate the fault slip-rate, which is consistent with independent geological estimates.

Seismic Reflection Images of Deep Lithospheric Faults and Thin Crust at the Actively Deforming Indo-Australian Plate Boundary in the Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, S. C.; Carton, H.; Chauhan, A.; Dyment, J.; Cannat, M.; Hananto, N.; Hartoyo, D.; Tapponnier, P.; Davaille, A.

2007-12-01

Recently, we acquired deep seismic reflection data using a state-of-the-art technology of Schlumberger having a powerful source (10,000 cubic inch) and a 12 km long streamer along a 250 km long trench parallel line offshore Sumatra in the Indian Ocean deformation zone that provides seismic reflection image down to 40 km depth over the old oceanic lithosphere formed at Wharton spreading centre about 55-57 Ma ago. We observe deep penetrating faults that go down to 37 km depth (~24 km in the oceanic mantle), providing the first direct evidence for full lithospheric-scale deformation in an intra-plate oceanic domain. These faults dip NE and have dips between 25 and 40 degrees. The majority of faults are present in the mantle and are spaced at about 5 km, and do not seem cut through the Moho. We have also imaged active strike-slip fault zones that seem to be associated with the re-activation of ancient fracture zones, which is consistent with previous seismological and seafloor observations. The geometries of the deep penetrating faults neither seem to correspond to faulting associated with the plate bending at the subduction front nor with the re-activation of fracture zone that initiated about 7.5 Ma ago, and therefore, we suggest that these deep mantle faults were formed due to compressive stress at the beginning of the hard collision between India and Eurasia, soon after the cessation of seafloor spreading in the Wharton basin. We also find that the crust generated at the fast Wharton spreading centre 55-57 Ma ago is only 3.5-4.5 km thick, the thinnest crust ever observed in a fast spreading environment. We suggest that this extremely thin crust is due to 40-50°C lower than normal mantle temperature in this part of the Indian Ocean during its formation.

Geodesy cannot presently detect the up-dip limit of frictional locking on megathrusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almeida, R. V.; Lindsey, E. O.; Bradley, K.; Hubbard, J.; Sathiakumar, S.; Malick, R.; Hill, E.

2017-12-01

Most discussions of interseismic behavior on megathrust faults focus on whether they are frictionally locked or creeping. Unfortunately, many geodetic studies of subduction zone megathrusts equate fault coupling with frictional locking. This comparison is not appropriate, as one reflects the physical properties of the fault, and the other reflects the kinematics of the fault. Much of the uncertainty about slip behavior is because in subduction zones, the shallow part of the fault is far from land, and therefore creep is not detectable by land-based GPS. Published coupling maps of subduction zone megathrusts often assume a low coupling ratio near the trench, updip from fully coupled regions. Yet, if the megathrust attains a coupling ratio of 1 anywhere on the fault (i.e., the hanging wall is moving with the same velocity as the footwall), a lower value of coupling updip of this location requires interseismic extension at a rate proportional to the decrease (Wang and Dixon, 2004). We argue that the shallow region of megathrusts lie in updip stress shadows, and do not (except under rare circumstances) experience appropriate driving forces to cause significant creep during the interseismic period. Therefore it may not be possible to determine whether these regions are frictionally locked by examining interseismic geodetic records. We demonstrate this effect using a boundary element model with rate-strengthening friction and a simplified subduction zone geometry. We show that a coupling value of zero at the trench is physically unrealistic even if only a small portion of the downdip fault zone is locked. The maximum creep at the trench depends on the width of the transition of the frictionally locked zone, but should be small (<30% of plate rate) under most circumstances. During the interseismic period, even if the shallow parts of megathrusts are frictionally unlocked, creep is likely smaller than the resolution of current seafloor geodetic techniques (which is currently in the range of cms/yr). These results have important implications for various aspects of subduction studies, including physical limits on geodetic coupling inversions, the hazard posed by slip on shallow decollements (tsunamigenic or otherwise), the seismotectonic interpretation of shallow seismicity, and the utility of seafloor geodetic measurements.

Dynamic 3D simulations of earthquakes on en echelon faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, R.A.; Day, S.M.

1999-01-01

One of the mysteries of earthquake mechanics is why earthquakes stop. This process determines the difference between small and devastating ruptures. One possibility is that fault geometry controls earthquake size. We test this hypothesis using a numerical algorithm that simulates spontaneous rupture propagation in a three-dimensional medium and apply our knowledge to two California fault zones. We find that the size difference between the 1934 and 1966 Parkfield, California, earthquakes may be the product of a stepover at the southern end of the 1934 earthquake and show how the 1992 Landers, California, earthquake followed physically reasonable expectations when it jumped across en echelon faults to become a large event. If there are no linking structures, such as transfer faults, then strike-slip earthquakes are unlikely to propagate through stepovers >5 km wide. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.

Holocene deceleration of the San Andreas fault zone in San Bernardino and implications for the eastern California shear zone rate debate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, R. A.; Lavier, L.; Anderson, M. L.; Matti, J.; Powell, R. E.

2005-05-01

New geodetic inferences for the rate of strain accumulation on the San Andreas fault associated with tectonic loading are ~20 mm/yr slower than observed Holocene surface displacement rates in the San Bernardino area, south of the fault's intersection with the San Jacinto fault zone, and north of its intersection with the eastern California shear zone (ECSZ). This displacement rate "anomaly" is significantly larger than can be easily explained by locking depth errors or earthquake cycle effects not accounted for in geodesy-constrained models for elastic loading rate. Using available time-averaged fault displacement-rates for the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault zones, we estimate instantaneous time-variable displacement rates on the San Andreas-San Jacinto-ECSZ fault zones, assuming that these fault zones form a closed system in the latitude band along which the fault zones overlap with one another and share in the accommodation of steady Pacific-North America relative plate motion. We find that the Holocene decrease in San Andreas loading rate can be compensated by a rapid increase in loading/displacement rate within the ECSZ over the past ~5 kyrs, independent of, but consistent with geodetic and geologic constraints derived from the ECSZ itself. Based on this model, we suggest that reported differences between fast contemporary strain rates observed on faults of the ECSZ using geodesy and slow rates inferred from Quaternary geology and Holocene paleoseismology (i.e., the ECSZ rate debate) may be explained by rapid changes in the pattern and rates of strain accumulation associated with fault loading largely unrelated to postseismic stress relaxation. If so, displacement rate data sets from Holocene geology and present-day geodesy could potentially provide important new constraints on the rheology of the lower crust and upper mantle representing lithospheric behavior on time-scales of thousands of years. Moreover, the results underscore that disagreement between geodetic and geologic fault displacement rates may reflect changes in strain accumulation rates associated with far-field elastic loading and thus earthquake potential, and not just transients.

Development of kink bands in granodiorite: Effect of mechanical heterogeneities, fault geometry, and friction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chheda, T. D.; Nevitt, J. M.; Pollard, D. D.

2014-12-01

The formation of monoclinal right-lateral kink bands in Lake Edison granodiorite (central Sierra Nevada, CA) is investigated through field observations and mechanics based numerical modeling. Vertical faults act as weak surfaces within the granodiorite, and vertical granodiorite slabs bounded by closely-spaced faults curve into a kink. Leucocratic dikes are observed in association with kinking. Measurements were made on maps of Hilgard, Waterfall, Trail Fork, Kip Camp (Pollard and Segall, 1983b) and Bear Creek kink bands (Martel, 1998). Outcrop scale geometric parameters such as fault length andspacing, kink angle, and dike width are used to construct a representative geometry to be used in a finite element model. Three orders of fault were classified, length = 1.8, 7.2 and 28.8 m, and spacing = 0.3, 1.2 and 3.6 m, respectively. The model faults are oriented at 25° to the direction of shortening (horizontal most compressive stress), consistent with measurements of wing crack orientations in the field area. The model also includes a vertical leucocratic dike, oriented perpendicular to the faults and with material properties consistent with aplite. Curvature of the deformed faults across the kink band was used to compare the effects of material properties, strain, and fault and dike geometry. Model results indicate that the presence of the dike, which provides a mechanical heterogeneity, is critical to kinking in these rocks. Keeping properties of the model granodiorite constant, curvature increased with decrease in yield strength and Young's modulus of the dike. Curvature increased significantly as yield strength decreased from 95 to 90 MPa, and below this threshold value, limb rotation for the kink band was restricted to the dike. Changing Poisson's ratio had no significant effect. The addition of small faults between bounding faults, decreasing fault spacing or increasing dike width increases the curvature. Increasing friction along the faults decreases slip, so the shortening is accommodated by more kinking. Analysis of these parameters also gives us an insight concerning the kilometer-scale kink band in the Mount Abbot Quadrangle, where the Rosy Finch Shear Zone may provide the mechanical heterogeneity that is necessary to cause kinking.

Seismic cycle feedbacks in a mid-crustal shear zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melosh, Benjamin L.; Rowe, Christie D.; Gerbi, Christopher; Smit, Louis; Macey, Paul

2018-07-01

Mid-crustal fault rheology is controlled by alternating brittle and plastic deformation mechanisms, which cause feedback cycles that influence earthquake behavior. Detailed mapping and microstructural observations in the Pofadder Shear Zone (Namibia and South Africa) reveal a lithologically heterogeneous shear zone core with quartz-rich mylonites and ultramylonites, plastically overprinted pseudotachylyte and active shear folds. We present evidence for a positive feedback cycle in which coseismic grain size reduction facilitates active shear folding by enhancing competency contrasts and promoting crystal plastic flow. Shear folding strengthens a portion of a shear zone by limb rotation, focusing deformation and promoting plastic flow or brittle slip in resulting areas of localized high stress. Using quartz paleopiezometry, we estimate strain and slip rates consistent with other studies of exhumed shear zones and modern plate boundary faults, helping establish the Pofadder Shear Zone as an ancient analogue to modern, continental-scale, strike-slip faults. This feedback cycle influences seismicity patterns at the scale of study (10s of meters) and possibly larger scales as well, and contributes to bulk strengthening of the brittle-plastic transition on modern plate boundary faults.

Paleoearthquake recurrence on the East Paradise fault zone, metropolitan Albuquerque, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Personius, Stephen F.; Mahan, Shannon

2000-01-01

A fortuitous exposure of the East Paradise fault zone near Arroyo de las Calabacillas has helped us determine a post-middle Pleistocene history for a long-forgotten Quaternary fault in the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mapping of two exposures of the fault zone allowed us to measure a total vertical offset of 2.75 m across middle Pleistocene fluvial and eolian deposits and to estimate individual surface-faulting events of about 1, 0.5, and 1.25 m. These measurements and several thermoluminescence ages allow us to calculate a long-term average slip rate of 0.01 ± 0.001 mm/yr and date two surface-faulting events to 208 ± 25 ka and 75 ± 7 ka. The youngest event probably occurred in the late Pleistocene, sometime after 75 ± 7 ka. These data yield a single recurrence interval of 133 ± 26 ka and an average recurrence interval of 90 ± 10 ka. However, recurrence intervals are highly variable because the two youngest events occurred in less than 75 ka. Offsets of 0.5-1.25 m and a fault length of 13-20 km indicate that surface-rupturing paleoearthquakes on the East Paradise fault zone had probable Ms or Mw magnitudes of 6.8-7.0. Although recurrence intervals are long on the East Paradise fault zone, these data are significant because they represent some of the first published slip rate, paleoearthquake magnitude, and recurrence information for any of the numerous Quaternary faults in the rapidly growing Albuquerque-Rio Rancho metropolitan area.

Recent crustal movements in the Sierra Nevada-Walker lane region of California-Nevada: Part i, rate and style of deformation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slemmons, D.B.; Wormer, D.V.; Bell, E.J.; Silberman, M.L.

1979-01-01

This review of geological, seismological, geochronological and paleobotanical data is made to compare historic and geologic rates and styles of deformation of the Sierra Nevada and western Basin and Range Provinces. The main uplift of this region began about 17 m.y. ago, with slow uplift of the central Sierra Nevada summit region at rates estimated at about 0.012 mm/yr and of western Basin and Range Province at about 0.01 mm/yr. Many Mesozoic faults of the Foothills fault system were reactivated with normal slip in mid-Tertiary time and have continued to be active with slow slip rates. Sparse data indicate acceleration of rates of uplift and faulting during the Late Cenozoic. The Basin and Range faulting appears to have extended westward during this period with a reduction in width of the Sierra Nevada. The eastern boundary zone of the Sierra Nevada has an irregular en-echelon pattern of normal and right-oblique faults. The area between the Sierra Nevada and the Walker Lane is a complex zone of irregular patterns of ho??rst and graben blocks and conjugate normal-to right- and left-slip faults of NW and NE trend, respectively. The Walker Lane has at least five main strands near Walker Lake, with total right-slip separation estimated at 48 km. The NE-trending left-slip faults are much shorter than the Walker Lane fault zone and have maximum separations of no more than a few kilometers. Examples include the 1948 and 1966 fault zone northeast of Truckee, California, the Olinghouse fault (Part III) and possibly the almost 200-km-long Carson Lineament. Historic geologic evidence of faulting, seismologic evidence for focal mechanisms, geodetic measurements and strain measurements confirm continued regional uplift and tilting of the Sierra Nevada, with minor internal local faulting and deformation, smaller uplift of the western Basin and Range Province, conjugate focal mechanisms for faults of diverse orientations and types, and a NS to NE-SW compression axis (??1) and an EW to NW-SE extension axis (??3). ?? 1979.

Constraints on behaviour of a mining‐induced earthquake inferred from laboratory rock mechanics experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGarr, Arthur F.; Johnston, Malcolm J.; Boettcher, M.; Heesakkers, V.; Reches, Z.

2013-01-01

On December 12, 2004, an earthquake of magnitude 2.2, located in the TauTona Gold Mine at a depth of about 3.65 km in the ancient Pretorius fault zone, was recorded by the in-mine borehole seismic network, yielding an excellent set of ground motion data recorded at hypocentral distances of several km. From these data, the seismic moment tensor, indicating mostly normal faulting with a small implosive component, and the radiated energy were measured; the deviatoric component of the moment tensor was estimated to be M0 = 2.3×1012 N·m and the radiated energy ER = 5.4×108 J. This event caused extensive damage along tunnels within the Pretorius fault zone. What rendered this earthquake of particular interest was the underground investigation of the complex pattern of exposed rupture surfaces combined with laboratory testing of rock samples retrieved from the ancient fault zone (Heesakkers et al.2011a, 2011b). Event 12/12 2004 was the result of fault slip across at least four nonparallel fault surfaces; 25 mm of slip was measured at one location on the rupture segment that is most parallel with a fault plane inferred from the seismic moment tensor, suggesting that this segment accounted for much of the total seismic deformation. By applying a recently developed technique based on biaxial stick-slip friction experiments (McGarr2012, 2013) to the seismic results, together with the 25 mm slip observed underground, we estimated a maximum slip rate of at least 6.6 m/s, which is consistent with the observed damage to tunnels in the rupture zone. Similarly, the stress drop and apparent stress were found to be correspondingly high at 21.9 MPa and 6.6 MPa, respectively. The ambient state of stress, measured at the approximate depth of the earthquake but away from the influence of mining, in conjunction with laboratory measurements of the strength of the fault zone cataclasites, indicates that during rupture of the M 2.2 event, the normal stress acting on the large-slip fault segment was about 260 MPa, the yield stress was 172 MPa and the seismic efficiency was 0.05. Thus, for event 12/12 2004, 5% of the energy released by the earthquake was radiated and the remaining 95% was consumed in overcoming fault friction and expanding the zone of rupture.

Fault geometry and slip distribution of the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan, China earthquake, inferred from GPS and InSAR measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Yongge; Shen, Zheng-Kang; Bürgmann, Roland; Sun, Jianbao; Wang, Min

2017-02-01

We revisit the problem of coseismic rupture of the 2008 Mw7.9 Wenchuan earthquake. Precise determination of the fault structure and slip distribution provides critical information about the mechanical behaviour of the fault system and earthquake rupture. We use all the geodetic data available, craft a more realistic Earth structure and fault model compared to previous studies, and employ a nonlinear inversion scheme to optimally solve for the fault geometry and slip distribution. Compared to a homogeneous elastic half-space model and laterally uniform layered models, adopting separate layered elastic structure models on both sides of the Beichuan fault significantly improved data fitting. Our results reveal that: (1) The Beichuan fault is listric in shape, with near surface fault dip angles increasing from ˜36° at the southwest end to ˜83° at the northeast end of the rupture. (2) The fault rupture style changes from predominantly thrust at the southwest end to dextral at the northeast end of the fault rupture. (3) Fault slip peaks near the surface for most parts of the fault, with ˜8.4 m thrust and ˜5 m dextral slip near Hongkou and ˜6 m thrust and ˜8.4 m dextral slip near Beichuan, respectively. (4) The peak slips are located around fault geometric complexities, suggesting that earthquake style and rupture propagation were determined by fault zone geometric barriers. Such barriers exist primarily along restraining left stepping discontinuities of the dextral-compressional fault system. (5) The seismic moment released on the fault above 20 km depth is 8.2×1021 N m, corresponding to an Mw7.9 event. The seismic moments released on the local slip concentrations are equivalent to events of Mw7.5 at Yingxiu-Hongkou, Mw7.3 at Beichuan-Pingtong, Mw7.2 near Qingping, Mw7.1 near Qingchuan, and Mw6.7 near Nanba, respectively. (6) The fault geometry and kinematics are consistent with a model in which crustal deformation at the eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau is decoupled by differential motion across a decollement in the mid crust, above which deformation is dominated by brittle reverse faulting and below which deformation occurs by viscous horizontal shortening and vertical thickening.

Oblique transfer of extensional strain between basins of the middle Rio Grande rift, New Mexico: Fault kinematic and paleostress constraints

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minor, Scott A.; Hudson, Mark R.; Caine, Jonathan S.; Thompson, Ren A.

2013-01-01

The structural geometry of transfer and accommodation zones that relay strain between extensional domains in rifted crust has been addressed in many studies over the past 30 years. However, details of the kinematics of deformation and related stress changes within these zones have received relatively little attention. In this study we conduct the first-ever systematic, multi-basin fault-slip measurement campaign within the late Cenozoic Rio Grande rift of northern New Mexico to address the mechanisms and causes of extensional strain transfer associated with a broad accommodation zone. Numerous (562) kinematic measurements were collected at fault exposures within and adjacent to the NE-trending Santo Domingo Basin accommodation zone, or relay, which structurally links the N-trending, right-stepping en echelon Albuquerque and Española rift basins. The following observations are made based on these fault measurements and paleostresses computed from them. (1) Compared to the typical northerly striking normal to normal-oblique faults in the rift basins to the north and south, normal-oblique faults are broadly distributed within two merging, NE-trending zones on the northwest and southeast sides of the Santo Domingo Basin. (2) Faults in these zones have greater dispersion of rake values and fault strikes, greater dextral strike-slip components over a wide northerly strike range, and small to moderate clockwise deflections of their tips. (3) Relative-age relations among fault surfaces and slickenlines used to compute reduced stress tensors suggest that far-field, ~E-W–trending σ3 stress trajectories were perturbed 45° to 90° clockwise into NW to N trends within the Santo Domingo zones. (4) Fault-stratigraphic age relations constrain the stress perturbations to the later stages of rifting, possibly as late as 2.7–1.1 Ma. Our fault observations and previous paleomagnetic evidence of post–2.7 Ma counterclockwise vertical-axis rotations are consistent with increased bulk sinistral-normal oblique shear along the Santo Domingo rift segment in Pliocene and later time. Regional geologic evidence suggests that the width of active rift faulting became increasingly confined to the Santo Domingo Basin and axial parts of the adjoining basins beginning in the late Miocene. We infer that the Santo Domingo clockwise stress perturbations developed coevally with the oblique rift segment mainly due to mechanical interactions of large faults propagating toward each other from the adjoining basins as the rift narrowed. Our results suggest that negligible bulk strike-slip displacement has been accommodated along the north-trending rift during much of its development, but uncertainties in the maximum ages of fault slip do not allow us to fully evaluate and discriminate between earlier models that invoked northward or southward rotation and translation of the Colorado Plateau during early (Miocene) rifting.

Interseismic coupling and geometry of the Main Himalayan Thrust: A complementary approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dal Zilio, L.; Jolivet, R.; van Dinther, Y.

2017-12-01

Estimating the extent of interseismic coupling along megathrusts is essential for quantitative assessments of seismic hazard. However, interseismic deformation is commonly modeled assuming a planar fault in a purely elastic and infinitely long half-space. These assumptions can thus strongly impact inferences of seismogenic coupling. To address this issue, we apply a complementary approach that combines inversion of geodetic data and a newly developed 2D, visco-elasto-plastic seismo-thermo-mechanical (STM) model. By employing a combination of geological and geophysical constraints, we design a high resolution model setup of the present-day Nepal Himalaya and geometry of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) fault. We next invert the resulting synthetic geodetic data for the along-dip pattern of coupling on the MHT. Afterwards, we employ a back-slip model to predict and compare the interseismic strain obtained from the model. Using a Bayesian approach, we finally analyze the 3D pattern of interseismic coupling on the MHT based on a compilation of geodetic data. This allows us to infer the probability of significant fault locking patches as well as of the creeping sections. By considering different geometries of the MHT as end-member cases, our results establish the dependence of interseismic coupling and surface displacement on geometry, temperature and rheology of the MHT. Depending on the position and dip-angle of the well-know mid-crustal ramp, the location and amplitude of interseismic shortening and uplift change according to the back-slip model prediction. These results thus emphasize the necessity of rigorous models that correctly account for complex fault geometries as well as for realistic rheologies in the slip processes. We will discuss how these results can be used to estimate heterogeneity of geodetic coupling, the mechanics governing the observed behavior and the implications for potential large ruptures.

Surface faulting and paleoseismic history of the 1932 Cedar Mountain earthquake area, west-central Nevada, and implications for modern tectonics of the Walker Lane

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bell, J.W.; DePolo, C.M.; Ramelli, A.R.; Sarna-Wojcicki, A. M.; Meyer, C.E.

1999-01-01

The 1932 Cedar Mountain earthquake (Ms 7.2) was one of the largest historical events in the Walker Lane region of western Nevada, and it produced a complicated strike-slip rupture pattern on multiple Quaternary faults distributed through three valleys. Primary, right-lateral surface ruptures occurred on north-striking faults in Monte Cristo Valley; small-scale lateral and normal offsets occurred in Stewart Valley; and secondary, normal faulting occurred on north-northeast-striking faults in the Gabbs Valley epicentral region. A reexamination of the surface ruptures provides new displacement and fault-zone data: maximum cumulative offset is estimated to be 2.7 m, and newly recognized faults extend the maximum width and end-to-end length of the rupture zone to 17 and 75 km, respectively. A detailed Quaternary allostratigraphic chronology based on regional alluvialgeomorphic relationships, tephrochronology, and radiocarbon dating provides a framework for interpreting the paleoseismic history of the fault zone. A late Wisconsinan alluvial-fan and piedmont unit containing a 32-36 ka tephra layer is a key stratigraphic datum for paleoseismic measurements. Exploratory trenching and radiocarbon dating of tectonic stratigraphy provide the first estimates for timing of late Quaternary faulting along the Cedar Mountain fault zone. Three trenches display evidence for six faulting events, including that in 1932, during the past 32-36 ka. Radiocarbon dating of organic soils interstratified with tectonically ponded silts establishes best-fit ages of the pre-1932 events at 4, 5,12,15, and 18 ka, each with ??2 ka uncertainties. On the basis of an estimated cumulative net slip of 6-12 m for the six faulting events, minimum and maximum late Quaternary slip rates are 0.2 and 0.7 mm/yr, respectively, and the preferred rate is 0.4-0.5 mm/yr. The average recurrence (interseismic) interval is 3600 yr. The relatively uniform thickness of the ponded deposits suggests that similar-size, characteristic rupture events may characterize late Quaternary slip on the zone. A comparison of event timing with the average late Quaternary recurrence interval indicates that slip has been largely regular (periodic) rather than temporally clustered. To account for the spatial separation of the primary surface faulting in Monte Cristo Valley from the epicenter and for a factor-of-two-to-three disparity between the instrumentally and geologically determined seismic moments associated with the earthquake, we hypothesize two alternative tectonic models containing undetected subevents. Either model would adequately account for the observed faulting on the basis of wrench-fault kinematics that may be associated with the Walker Lane. The 1932 Cedar Mountain earthquake is considered an important modern analogue for seismotectonic modeling and estimating seismic hazard in the Walker Lane region. In contrast to most other historical events in the Basin and Range province, the 1932 event did not occur along a major range-bounding fault, and no single, throughgoing basement structure can account for the observed rupture pattern. The 1932 faulting supports the concept that major earthquakes in the Basin and Range province can exhibit complicated distributive rupture patterns and that slip rate may not be a reliable criterion for modeling seismic hazard.

The growth of geological structures by repeated earthquakes: 2, Field examples of continental dip-slip faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stein, R.S.; King, G.C.P.; Rundle, J.B.

1988-01-01

A strong test of our understanding of the earthquake cycle is the ability to reproduce extant faultbounded geological structures, such as basins and ranges, which are built by repeated cycles of deformation. Three examples are considered for which the structure and fault geometry are well known: the White Wolf reverse fault in California, site of the 1952 Kern County M=7.3 earthquake, the Lost River normal fault in Idaho, site of the 1983 Borah Peak M=7.0 earthquake, and the Cricket Mountain normal fault in Utah, site of Quaternary slip events. Basin stratigraphy and seismic reflection records are used to profile the structure, and coseismic deformation measured by leveling surveys is used to estimate the fault geometry. To reproduce these structures, we add the deformation associated with the earthquake cycle (the coseismic slip and postseismic relaxation) to the flexure caused by the observed sediment load, treating the crust as a thin elastic plate overlying a fluid substrate. -from Authors

Evolution of Microroughness with Increasing Slip Magnitude on Pseudotachylyte-Bearing Fault Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bessey, S.; Resor, P. G.; Di Toro, G.

2013-12-01

High velocity rock friction experiments reproducing seismic slip deformation conditions have shown that there is an initial shear strengthening prior to a significant weakening with slip. This change in shear resistance is inferred to occur due to the development of melt patches, which initially strengthen the fault, and is associated with the evolution of microroughness of the melt-wall rock interface (Hirose and Shimamoto, 2003). Additional melting leads to a continuous layer of melt, allowing easier sliding and weakening. Once there is a balance between formation and extrusion of melt, a steady state shear resistance (and associated effective friction coefficient) is reached (Nielsen et al. 2008). In natural fault zones, the process of frictional melting, slip weakening, and steady state is both recorded and influenced by the microroughness of the fault surface. Our study explores natural faults over a range of slip magnitudes from mm to m of slip, the magnitudes over which this process is most likely to occur during earthquakes. The Gole Larghe fault zone (Italy) is an exhumed strike-slip fault zone in tonalite of the Adamello batholith. The fault zone is characterized by multiple fault strands containing pseudotachylyte or pseudotachylyte overprinting cataclasite. We have sampled several individual faults segments from within the fault zone, with slips ranging from 23 mm to 1.9 m. The smaller scale samples are from pseudotachylyte-only fault strands and therefore probably record single-slip events. The two largest slip faults have pseudotachylyte and cataclasite, indicating that they may have more complicated slip histories. Individual samples consist of cores (2-3.5 cm diameter, 2-6 cm length) drilled parallel to the fault surface and ~perpendicular to the slip. Samples were scanned with an Xradia MicroCT scanner to image the 3D geometry of the fault and wall rocks. Fault surfaces (contact between the pseudotachylyte-bearing slipping zone and the wall rock) were extracted from the CT volume using an edge detection algorithm and their roughness was quantified using Fourier spectral and spatial analysis methods. At very small slip (<30 mm), roughness analysis showed anisotropy in the form of striations with smoothing in the direction of slip coupled with a lack of visible pseudotachylyte (i.e., the volume of pseudotachylyte produced was below the resolution of the MicroCT method), suggesting that the frictional work did not exchange sufficient heat to significantly melt the host rock along the fault surface. With increasing slip (~35mm-310mm), a trend of decreasing anisotropy is in evidence, as is a strong increase in local topography associated with recessed biotite grains. We infer that samples in this range of slip magnitude experienced significant wear due to melting. Microroughness shows a clear, albeit somewhat complicated, relationship with slip and may be used to infer the evolution of shear resistance with seismic slip.

Stressing of the New Madrid seismic zone by a lower crust detachment fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuart, W.D.; Hildenbrand, T.G.; Simpson, R.W.

1997-01-01

A new mechanical model for the cause of the New Madrid seismic zone in the central United States is analyzed. The model contains a subhorizontal detachment fault which is assumed to be near the domed top surface of locally thickened anomalous lower crust ("rift pillow"). Regional horizontal compression induces slip on the fault, and the slip creates a stress concentration in the upper crust above the rift pillow dome. In the coseismic stage of the model earthquake cycle, where the three largest magnitude 7-8 earthquakes in 1811-1812 are represented by a single model mainshock on a vertical northeast trending fault, the model mainshock has a moment equivalent to a magnitude 8 event. During the interseismic stage, corresponding to the present time, slip on the detachment fault exerts a right-lateral shear stress on the locked vertical fault whose failure produces the model mainshock. The sense of shear is generally consistent with the overall sense of slip of 1811-1812 and later earthquakes. Predicted rates of horizontal strain at the ground surface are about 10-7 year-1 and are comparable to some observed rates. The model implies that rift pillow geometry is a significant influence on the maximum possible earthquake magnitude.

Origin of the Uinta recess, Sevier fold thrust belt, Utah: influence of basin architecture on fold thrust belt geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulsen, Timothy; Marshak, Stephen

1999-11-01

Structural trends in the Sevier fold-thrust belt define a pronounced concave-to-the-foreland map-view curve, the Uinta recess, in north-central Utah. This recess separates two convex-to-the-foreland curves, the Provo salient on the south and the Wyoming salient on the north. The two limbs of the recess comprise transverse zones (fault zones at a high-angle to the regional trend of the orogen) that border the flanks of the east-west-trending Uinta/Cottonwood arch. Our structural analysis indicates that the transverse zones formed during the Sevier orogeny, and that they differ markedly from each other in structural style. The Charleston transverse zone (CTZ), on the south side of the arch, initiated as a complex sinistral strike-slip fault system that defines the abrupt northern boundary of the Provo salient. The Mount Raymond transverse zone (MRTZ), on the north side of the arch, represents the region in which the southeast-verging southern limb of the gently curving Wyoming salient was tilted northwards during the Laramide phase of uplift of the Uinta/Cottonwood arch. In effect, the MRTZ represents an oblique cross section through a thrust belt. The contrasting architecture of these transverse zones demonstrates how pre-deformation basin geometry influences the geometry of a fold-thrust belt. Analysis of isopach maps indicates that, at the time the Sevier fold-thrust belt formed, the area just north of the present site of the Uinta/Cottonwood arch was a basement high, with a gently dipping north flank, and a steeply dipping south flank. Thus, predeformational sediment thickened abruptly to the south of the high and thickened gradually to the north of the high. As illustrated by sandbox models, the distance that a fold-thrust belt propagates into the foreland depends on the thickness of the sedimentary layer being deformed, so the shape of the salient mimics the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the sedimentary basin. Where basins taper gradually along strike, the thrust belt curves gently, but where basins taper abruptly along strike, the thrust belt curves so tightly that it disarticulates and becomes bounded laterally by a strike-slip accommodation zone. The geometry of the Uinta recess provides a field example of this concept. Differential movement of Sevier thrusts led to formation of gradually curving thrusts on the north side of the high, because of the gradual slope of the high's north flank, but led to the along-strike disarticulation of thrusts on the south side of the high, because of the steep slope of the high's south flank. In effect, therefore, thrust belt map-view geometry provides insight into predeformational basin geometry.

Timing of large earthquakes since A.D. 800 on the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas fault zone at Thousand Palms Oasis, near Palm Springs, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fumal, T.E.; Rymer, M.J.; Seitz, G.G.

2002-01-01

Paleoseismic investigations across the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas fault at Thousand Palms Oasis indicate that four and probably five surface-rupturing earthquakes occurred during the past 1200 years. Calendar age estimates for these earthquakes are based on a chronological model that incorporates radio-carbon dates from 18 in situ burn layers and stratigraphic ordering constraints. These five earthquakes occurred in about A.D. 825 (770-890) (mean, 95% range), A.D. 982 (840-1150), A.D. 1231 (1170-1290), A.D. 1502 (1450-1555), and after a date in the range of A.D. 1520-1680. The most recent surface-rupturing earthquake at Thousand Palms is likely the same as the A.D. 1676 ?? 35 event at Indio reported by Sieh and Williams (1990). Each of the past five earthquakes recorded on the San Andreas fault in the Coachella Valley strongly overlaps in time with an event at the Wrightwood paleoseismic site, about 120 km northwest of Thousand Palms Oasis. Correlation of events between these two sites suggests that at least the southernmost 200 km of the San Andreas fault zone may have ruptured in each earthquake. The average repeat time for surface-rupturing earthquakes on the San Andreas fault in the Coachella Valley is 215 ?? 25 years, whereas the elapsed time since the most recent event is 326 ?? 35 years. This suggests the southernmost San Andreas fault zone likely is very near failure. The Thousand Palms Oasis site is underlain by a series of six channels cut and filled since about A.D. 800 that cross the fault at high angles. A channel margin about 900 years old is offset right laterally 2.0 ?? 0.5 m, indicating a slip rate of 4 ?? 2 mm/yr. This slip rate is low relative to geodetic and other geologic slip rate estimates (26 ?? 2 mm/yr and about 23-35 mm/yr, respectively) on the southernmost San Andreas fault zone, possibly because (1) the site is located in a small step-over in the fault trace and so the rate is not be representative of the Mission Creek fault, (2) slip is partitioned northward from the San Andreas fault and into the eastern California shear zone, and/or (3) slip is partitioned onto the Banning strand of the San Andreas fault zone.

Fault connectivity, distributed shortening, and impacts on geologic- geodetic slip rate discrepancies in the central Mojave Desert, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selander, J.; Oskin, M. E.; Cooke, M. L.; Grette, K.

2015-12-01

Understanding off-fault deformation and distribution of displacement rates associated with disconnected strike-slip faults requires a three-dimensional view of fault geometries. We address problems associated with distributed faulting by studying the Mojave segment of the East California Shear Zone (ECSZ), a region dominated by northwest-directed dextral shear along disconnected northwest- southeast striking faults. We use a combination of cross-sectional interpretations, 3D Boundary Element Method (BEM) models, and slip-rate measurements to test new hypothesized fault connections. We find that reverse faulting acts as an important means of slip transfer between strike-slip faults, and show that the impacts of these structural connections on shortening, uplift, strike-slip rates, and off-fault deformation, help to reconcile the overall strain budget across this portion of the ECSZ. In detail, we focus on the Calico and Blackwater faults, which are hypothesized to together represent the longest linked fault system in the Mojave ECSZ, connected by a restraining step at 35°N. Across this restraining step the system displays a pronounced displacement gradient, where dextral offset decreases from ~11.5 to <2 km from south to north. Cross-section interpretations show that ~40% of this displacement is transferred from the Calico fault to the Harper Lake and Blackwater faults via a set of north-dipping thrust ramps. Late Quaternary dextral slip rates follow a similar pattern, where 1.4 +0.8/-0.4 mm/yr of slip along the Calico fault south of 35°N is distributed to the Harper Lake, Blackwater, and Tin Can Alley faults. BEM model results using revised fault geometries for the Mojave ECSZ show areas of uplift consistent with contractional structures, and fault slip-rates that more closely match geologic data. Overall, revised fault connections and addition of off-fault deformation greatly reduces the discrepancy between geodetic and geologic slip rates.

Modeling of coulpled deformation and permeability evolution during fault reactivation induced by deep underground injection of CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cappa, F.; Rutqvist, J.

2010-06-01

The interaction between mechanical deformation and fluid flow in fault zones gives rise to a host of coupled hydromechanical processes fundamental to fault instability, induced seismicity, and associated fluid migration. In this paper, we discuss these coupled processes in general and describe three modeling approaches that have been considered to analyze fluid flow and stress coupling in fault-instability processes. First, fault hydromechanical models were tested to investigate fault behavior using different mechanical modeling approaches, including slip interface and finite-thickness elements with isotropic or anisotropic elasto-plastic constitutive models. The results of this investigation showed that fault hydromechanical behavior can be appropriatelymore » represented with the least complex alternative, using a finite-thickness element and isotropic plasticity. We utilized this pragmatic approach coupled with a strain-permeability model to study hydromechanical effects on fault instability during deep underground injection of CO{sub 2}. We demonstrated how such a modeling approach can be applied to determine the likelihood of fault reactivation and to estimate the associated loss of CO{sub 2} from the injection zone. It is shown that shear-enhanced permeability initiated where the fault intersects the injection zone plays an important role in propagating fault instability and permeability enhancement through the overlying caprock.« less

Documentation for Initial Seismic Hazard Maps for Haiti

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frankel, Arthur; Harmsen, Stephen; Mueller, Charles; Calais, Eric; Haase, Jennifer

2010-01-01

In response to the urgent need for earthquake-hazard information after the tragic disaster caused by the moment magnitude (M) 7.0 January 12, 2010, earthquake, we have constructed initial probabilistic seismic hazard maps for Haiti. These maps are based on the current information we have on fault slip rates and historical and instrumental seismicity. These initial maps will be revised and improved as more data become available. In the short term, more extensive logic trees will be developed to better capture the uncertainty in key parameters. In the longer term, we will incorporate new information on fault parameters and previous large earthquakes obtained from geologic fieldwork. These seismic hazard maps are important for the management of the current crisis and the development of building codes and standards for the rebuilding effort. The boundary between the Caribbean and North American Plates in the Hispaniola region is a complex zone of deformation. The highly oblique ~20 mm/yr convergence between the two plates (DeMets and others, 2000) is partitioned between subduction zones off of the northern and southeastern coasts of Hispaniola and strike-slip faults that transect the northern and southern portions of the island. There are also thrust faults within the island that reflect the compressional component of motion caused by the geometry of the plate boundary. We follow the general methodology developed for the 1996 U.S. national seismic hazard maps and also as implemented in the 2002 and 2008 updates. This procedure consists of adding the seismic hazard calculated from crustal faults, subduction zones, and spatially smoothed seismicity for shallow earthquakes and Wadati-Benioff-zone earthquakes. Each one of these source classes will be described below. The lack of information on faults in Haiti requires many assumptions to be made. These assumptions will need to be revisited and reevaluated as more fieldwork and research are accomplished. We made two sets of maps using different assumptions about site conditions. One set of maps is for a firm-rock site condition (30-m averaged shear-wave velocity, Vs30, of 760 m/s). We also developed hazard maps that contain site amplification based on a grid of Vs30 values estimated from topographic slope. These maps take into account amplification from soils. We stress that these new maps are designed to quantify the hazard for Haiti; they do not consider all the sources of earthquake hazard that affect the Dominican Republic and therefore should not be considered as complete hazard maps for eastern Hispaniola. For example, we have not included hazard from earthquakes in the Mona Passage nor from large earthquakes on the subduction zone interface north of Puerto Rico. Furthermore, they do not capture all the earthquake hazards for eastern Cuba.

Along-strike complex geometry of subduction zones - an experimental approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Midtkandal, I.; Gabrielsen, R. H.; Brun, J.-P.; Huismans, R.

2012-04-01

Recent knowledge of the great geometric and dynamic complexity insubduction zones, combined with new capacity for analogue mechanical and numerical modeling has sparked a number of studies on subduction processes. Not unexpectedly, such models reveal a complex relation between physical conditions during subduction initiation, strength profile of the subducting plate, the thermo-dynamic conditions and the subduction zones geometries. One rare geometrical complexity of subduction that remains particularly controversial, is the potential for polarity shift in subduction systems. The present experiments were therefore performed to explore the influence of the architecture, strength and strain velocity on complexities in subduction zones, focusing on along-strike variation of the collision zone. Of particular concern were the consequences for the geometry and kinematics of the transition zones between segments of contrasting subduction direction. Although the model design to some extent was inspired by the configuration along the Iberian - Eurasian suture zone, the results are also of significance for other orogens with complex along-strike geometries. The experiments were set up to explore the initial state of subduction only, and were accordingly terminated before slab subduction occurred. The model wasbuilt from layers of silicone putty and sand, tailored to simulate the assumed lithospheric geometries and strength-viscosity profiles along the plate boundary zone prior to contraction, and comprises two 'continental' plates separated by a thinner 'oceanic' plate that represents the narrow seaway. The experiment floats on a substrate of sodiumpolytungstate, representing mantle. 24 experimental runs were performed, varying the thickness (and thus strength) of the upper mantle lithosphere, as well as the strain rate. Keeping all other parameters identical for each experiment, the models were shortened by a computer-controlled jackscrew while time-lapse images were recorded. After completion, the models were saturated with water and frozen, allowing for sectioning and profile inspection. The experiments were invariably characterized by different along-strike patterns of deformation, so that three distinct structural domains could be distinguished in all cases. Model descriptions are subdivided accordingly, including domain CC, simulating a continent-continent collision, domain OC, characterized by continent-ocean-continent collision and domain T, representing the transition zone between domain CC and domain OC. The latter zone varied in width and complexity depending on the contrast in structural style developed in the two other domains; in cases where domain OC developed very differently from domain CC, the transition zone was generally wider and more complex. A typical experiment displayed the following features and strain history: In domain CC two principal thrust sheets are displayed, which obviously developed in an in-sequence foreland-directed fashion. The lowermost detachment nucleated at the base of the High Strength Lithospheric Mantle analogue, whereas the uppermost thrust was anchored within the "lower crust". The two thrusts operated in concert, the surface trace of the deepest dominating in the west, and the shallowest in the east. The kinematic development of domain CC could be subdivided into four stages, including initiation of a symmetrical anticline with a minute amplitude and situated directly above the velocity discontinuity defined by the plate contact (stage 1), contemporaneous development of the two thrusts (stage 2) and an associated asymmetrical anticline (stage 3) with a central collapse graben in the latest phase (stage 4). It is noted that the segment CC as seen in a clear majority of the experiments followed this pattern of development. In contrast, the configuration of domain OC displayed greater variation, and included north and south-directed subduction, folding, growth of pop-up-structures and triangle zones. In the "ocean crust" domain, stage 1 was characterized by the growth of a fault-propagation anticline with an E-W-oriented fold axis, ending with the surfacing of a north-vergent thrust. In stage 2, the contraction was concentrated to the south in the oceanic domain, again ending with the surfacing of a thrust, here with top-south transport. By continued movement (stage 3), the thrust fault propagated towards the east, crossing into the "continental" domain and linking with the fault systems of the segment CC. The structure of domain T is dominated by the interference of faults propagating westwards from the domain CC and eastwards from the domain OC, respectively. The zone of overlap in the experiment was significant, and its central part had the geometry of a double "crocodile structure" (sensuMeissner 1989), separating the two areas of northerly and southerly subduction. Hence, its development is less easily subdivided into stages. Reference: Meissner,R., 1989: Rupture, creep lamellae and crocodiles: happenings in the continental crust. Terra Nova, 1, 17-28.

The rheological structure of the lithosphere in the Eastern Marmara region, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oruç, Bülent; Sönmez, Tuba

2017-05-01

The aim of this work is to propose the geometries of the crustal-lithospheric mantle boundary (Moho) and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) and the 1D thermal structure of the lithosphere, in order to establish a rheological model of the Eastern Marmara region. The average depths of Moho and LAB are respectively 35 km and 51 km from radially averaged amplitude spectra of EGM08 Bouguer anomalies. The geometries of Moho and LAB interfaces are estimated from the Parker-Oldenburg gravity inversion algorithm. Our results show the Moho depth varies from 31 km at the northern part of North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) to 39 km below the mountain belt in the southern part of the NAFZ. The depth to the LAB beneath the same parts of the region ranges from 45 km to 55 km. Having lithospheric strength and thermal boundary layer structure, we analyzed the conditions of development of lithosphere thinning. A two-dimensional strength profile has been estimated for rheology model of the study area. Thus we suggest that the rheological structure consists of a strong upper crust, a weak lower crust, and a partly molten upper lithospheric mantle.

Intensity of joints associated with an extensional fault zone: an estimation by poly3d .

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minelli, G.

2003-04-01

The presence and frequency of joints in sedimentary rocks strongly affects the mechanical and fluid flow properties of the host layers. Joints intensity is evaluated by spacing, S, the distance between neighbouring fractures, or by density, D = 1/S. Joint spacing in layered rocks is often linearly related to layer thickness T, with typical values of 0.5 T < S < 2.0 T . On the other hand, some field cases display very tight joints with S << T and nonlinear relations between spacing and thickness , most of these cases are related to joint system “genetically” related to a nearby fault zone. The present study by using the code Poly3D (Rock Fracture Project at Stanford), numerically explores the effect of the stress distribution in the neighbour of an extensional fault zone with respect to the mapped intensity of joints both in the hanging wall and in the foot wall of it (WILLEMSE, E. J. M., 1997; MARTEL, S. J, AND BOGER, W. A,; 1998). Poly3D is a C language computer program that calculates the displacements, strains and stresses induced in an elastic whole or half-space by planar, polygonal-shaped elements of displacement discontinuity (WILLEMSE, E. J. M., POLLARD, D. D., 2000) Dislocations of varying shapes may be combined to yield complex three-dimensional surfaces well-suited for modeling fractures, faults, and cavities in the earth's crust. The algebraic expressions for the elastic fields around a polygonal element are derived by superposing the solution for an angular dislocation in an elastic half-space. The field data have been collected in a quarry located close to Noci town (Puglia) by using the scan line methodology. In this quarry a platform limestone with a regular bedding with very few shale or marly intercalations displaced by a normal fault are exposed. The comparison between the mapped joints intensity and the calculated stress around the fault displays a good agreement. Nevertheless the intrinsic limitations (isotropic medium and elastic behaviour) of this project encourages other application of Poly3d. References WILLEMSE, E. J. M., 1997, Segmented normal faults: Correspondence between three-dimensional mechanical models and field data: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 102, p. 675-692. MARTEL, S. J, AND BOGER, W. A, 1998, Geometry and mechanics of secondary fracturing around small three-dimensional faults in granitic rock: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 103, p. 21,299-21,314. WILLEMSE, E. J. M., POLLARD, D. D., 2000, Normal fault growth: evolution of tipline shapes and slip distribution: in Lehner, F.K. &Urai, J.L. (eds.), Aspects of Tectonic Faulting, Springer -Verlag , Berlin, p. 193-226.

The 2014 Mw6.9 Gokceada and 2017 Mw6.3 Lesvos Earthquakes in the Northern Aegean Sea: The Transition from Right-Lateral Strike-Slip Faulting on the North Anatolian Fault to Extension in the Central Aegean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cetin, S.; Konca, A. O.; Dogan, U.; Floyd, M.; Karabulut, H.; Ergintav, S.; Ganas, A.; Paradisis, D.; King, R. W.; Reilinger, R. E.

2017-12-01

The 2014 Mw6.9 Gokceada (strike-slip) and 2017 Mw6.3 Lesvos (normal) earthquakes represent two of the set of faults that accommodate the transition from right-lateral strike-slip faulting on the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) to normal faulting along the Gulf of Corinth. The Gokceada earthquake was a purely strike-slip event on the western extension of the NAF where it enters the northern Aegean Sea. The Lesvos earthquake, located roughly 200 km south of Gokceada, occurred on a WNW-ESE-striking normal fault. Both earthquakes respond to the same regional stress field, as indicated by their sub-parallel seismic tension axis and far-field coseismic GPS displacements. Interpretation of GPS-derived velocities, active faults, crustal seismicity, and earthquake focal mechanisms in the northern Aegean indicates that this pattern of complementary faulting, involving WNW-ESE-striking normal faults (e.g. Lesvos earthquake) and SW-NE-striking strike-slip faults (e.g. Gokceada earthquake), persists across the full extent of the northern Aegean Sea. The combination of these two "families" of faults, combined with some systems of conjugate left-lateral strike-slip faults, complement one another and culminate in the purely extensional rift structures that form the large Gulfs of Evvia and Corinth. In addition to being consistent with seismic and geodetic observations, these fault geometries explain the increasing velocity of the southern Aegean and Peloponnese regions towards the Hellenic subduction zone. Alignment of geodetic extension and seismic tension axes with motion of the southern Aegean towards the Hellenic subduction zone suggests a direct association of Aegean extension with subduction, possibly by trench retreat, as has been suggested by prior investigators.

Bayesian estimation of source parameters and associated Coulomb failure stress changes for the 2005 Fukuoka (Japan) Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Rishabh; Jónsson, Sigurjón; Wang, Teng; Vasyura-Bathke, Hannes

2018-04-01

Several researchers have studied the source parameters of the 2005 Fukuoka (northwestern Kyushu Island, Japan) earthquake (Mw 6.6) using teleseismic, strong motion and geodetic data. However, in all previous studies, errors of the estimated fault solutions have been neglected, making it impossible to assess the reliability of the reported solutions. We use Bayesian inference to estimate the location, geometry and slip parameters of the fault and their uncertainties using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar and Global Positioning System data. The offshore location of the earthquake makes the fault parameter estimation challenging, with geodetic data coverage mostly to the southeast of the earthquake. To constrain the fault parameters, we use a priori constraints on the magnitude of the earthquake and the location of the fault with respect to the aftershock distribution and find that the estimated fault slip ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 m with decreasing probability. The marginal distributions of the source parameters show that the location of the western end of the fault is poorly constrained by the data whereas that of the eastern end, located closer to the shore, is better resolved. We propagate the uncertainties of the fault model and calculate the variability of Coulomb failure stress changes for the nearby Kego fault, located directly below Fukuoka city, showing that the main shock increased stress on the fault and brought it closer to failure.

Structure of pseudotachylyte vein systems as a key to co-seismic rupture dynamics: the case of Gavilgarh-Tan Shear Zone, central India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chattopadhyay, A.; Bhattacharjee, D.; Mukherjee, S.

2014-04-01

The secondary fractures associated with a major pseudotachylyte-bearing fault vein in the sheared aplitic granitoid of the Proterozoic Gavilgarh-Tan Shear Zone in central India are mapped at the outcrop scale. The fracture maps help to identify at least three different types of co-seismic ruptures, e.g., X-X', T1 and T2, which characterize sinistral-sense shearing of rocks, confined between two sinistral strike-slip faults slipping at seismic rate. From the asymmetric distribution of tensile fractures around the sinistral-sense fault vein, the direction of seismic rupture propagation is predicted to have occurred from west-southwest to east-northeast, during an ancient (Ordovician?) earthquake. Calculations of approximate co-seismic displacement on the faults and seismic moment ( M 0) of the earthquake are attempted, following the methods proposed by earlier workers. These estimates broadly agree to the findings from other studied fault zones (e.g., Gole Larghe Fault zone, Italian Alps). This study supports the proposition by some researchers that important seismological information can be extracted from tectonic pseudotachylytes of all ages, provided they are not reworked by subsequent tectonic activity.

Right-lateral shear across Iran and kinematic change in the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Mark B.; Kheirkhah, Monireh; Emami, Mohammad H.; Jones, Stuart J.

2011-02-01

New offset determinations for right-lateral strike-slip faults in Iran revise the kinematics of the Arabia-Eurasia collision, by indicating along-strike lengthening of the collision zone before a change to the present kinematic regime at ˜5 Ma. A series of right-lateral strike-slip faults is present across the Turkish-Iranian plateau between 48°E and 57°E. Fault strikes vary between NW-SE and NNW-SSE. Several of the faults are seismically active and/or have geomorphic evidence for Holocene slip. None of the faults affects the GPS-derived regional velocity field, indicating active slip rates are ≤2 mm yr-1. We estimate total offsets for these faults from displaced geological and geomorphic markers, based on observations from satellite imagery, digital topography, geology maps and our own fieldwork observations, and combine these results with published estimates for fault displacement. Total right-lateral offset of the Dehu, Anar, Deh Shir, Kashan, Ab-Shirin-Shurab, Kousht Nousrat, Qom, Bid Hand, Indes, Soltanieh and Takab faults is ˜250 km. Other faults (North Zanjan, Saveh, Jorjafk, Rafsanjan, Kuh Banan and Behabad) have unknown or highly uncertain amounts of slip. Collectively, these faults are inferred to have accommodated part of the Arabia-Eurasia convergence. Three roles are possible, which are not mutually exclusive: (1) shortening via anticlockwise, vertical axis rotations; (2) northward movement of Iranian crust with respect to stable Afghanistan to the east; (3) combination with coeval NW-SE thrusts in the Turkish-Iranian plateau, to produce north-south plate convergence (`strain partitioning'). This strike-slip faulting across Iran requires along-strike lengthening of the collision zone. This was possible until the Pliocene (≤ 5 Ma), when the Afghan crust collided with the western margin of the Indian plate, thereby sealing off a free face at the eastern side of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone. Continuing Arabia-Eurasia plate convergence had to be accommodated in new ways and new areas, leading to the present pattern of faulting from eastern Iran to western Turkey, and involving the westward transport (`escape') of Anatolia and the concentration of thrusting in the Zagros and Alborz mountains.

Fault slip rates in the modern new madrid seismic zone

PubMed

Mueller; Champion; Guccione; Kelson

1999-11-05

Structural and geomorphic analysis of late Holocene sediments in the Lake County region of the New Madrid seismic zone indicates that they are deformed by fault-related folding above the blind Reelfoot thrust fault. The widths of narrow kink bands exposed in trenches were used to model the Reelfoot scarp as a forelimb on a fault-bend fold; this, coupled with the age of folded sediment, yields a slip rate on the blind thrust of 6.1 +/- 0.7 mm/year for the past 2300 +/- 100 years. An alternative method used structural relief across the scarp and the estimated dip of the underlying blind thrust to calculate a slip rate of 4.8 +/- 0.2 mm/year. Geometric relations suggest that the right lateral slip rate on the New Madrid seismic zone is 1.8 to 2.0 mm/year.

Adaptive Fault-Tolerant Control of Uncertain Nonlinear Large-Scale Systems With Unknown Dead Zone.

PubMed

Chen, Mou; Tao, Gang

2016-08-01

In this paper, an adaptive neural fault-tolerant control scheme is proposed and analyzed for a class of uncertain nonlinear large-scale systems with unknown dead zone and external disturbances. To tackle the unknown nonlinear interaction functions in the large-scale system, the radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is employed to approximate them. To further handle the unknown approximation errors and the effects of the unknown dead zone and external disturbances, integrated as the compounded disturbances, the corresponding disturbance observers are developed for their estimations. Based on the outputs of the RBFNN and the disturbance observer, the adaptive neural fault-tolerant control scheme is designed for uncertain nonlinear large-scale systems by using a decentralized backstepping technique. The closed-loop stability of the adaptive control system is rigorously proved via Lyapunov analysis and the satisfactory tracking performance is achieved under the integrated effects of unknown dead zone, actuator fault, and unknown external disturbances. Simulation results of a mass-spring-damper system are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive neural fault-tolerant control scheme for uncertain nonlinear large-scale systems.

A method for mapping apparent stress and energy radiation applied to the 1994 Northridge earthquake fault zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGarr, A.; Fletcher, Joe B.

2000-01-01

Using the Northridge earthquake as an example, we demonstrate a new technique able to resolve apparent stress within subfaults of a larger fault plane. From the model of Wald et al. (1996), we estimated apparent stress for each subfault using τa = (G/β)/2 where G is the modulus of rigidity, β is the shear wave speed, and is the average slip rate. The image of apparent stress mapped over the Northridge fault plane supports the idea that the stresses causing fault slip are inhomogeneous, but limited by the strength of the crust. Indeed, over the depth range 5 to 17 km, maximum values of apparent stress for a given depth interval agree with τa(max)=0.06S(z), where S is the laboratory estimate of crustal strength as a function of depth z. The seismic energy from each subfault was estimated from the product τaDA, where A is subfault area and D its slip. Over the fault zone, we found that the radiated energy is quite variable spatially, with more than 50% of the total coming from just 15% of the subfaults.

Dynamic rupture simulations on complex fault zone structures with off-fault plasticity using the ADER-DG method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollherr, Stephanie; Gabriel, Alice-Agnes; Igel, Heiner

2015-04-01

In dynamic rupture models, high stress concentrations at rupture fronts have to to be accommodated by off-fault inelastic processes such as plastic deformation. As presented in (Roten et al., 2014), incorporating plastic yielding can significantly reduce earlier predictions of ground motions in the Los Angeles Basin. Further, an inelastic response of materials surrounding a fault potentially has a strong impact on surface displacement and is therefore a key aspect in understanding the triggering of tsunamis through floor uplifting. We present an implementation of off-fault-plasticity and its verification for the software package SeisSol, an arbitrary high-order derivative discontinuous Galerkin (ADER-DG) method. The software recently reached multi-petaflop/s performance on some of the largest supercomputers worldwide and was a Gordon Bell prize finalist application in 2014 (Heinecke et al., 2014). For the nonelastic calculations we impose a Drucker-Prager yield criterion in shear stress with a viscous regularization following (Andrews, 2005). It permits the smooth relaxation of high stress concentrations induced in the dynamic rupture process. We verify the implementation by comparison to the SCEC/USGS Spontaneous Rupture Code Verification Benchmarks. The results of test problem TPV13 with a 60-degree dipping normal fault show that SeisSol is in good accordance with other codes. Additionally we aim to explore the numerical characteristics of the off-fault plasticity implementation by performing convergence tests for the 2D code. The ADER-DG method is especially suited for complex geometries by using unstructured tetrahedral meshes. Local adaptation of the mesh resolution enables a fine sampling of the cohesive zone on the fault while simultaneously satisfying the dispersion requirements of wave propagation away from the fault. In this context we will investigate the influence of off-fault-plasticity on geometrically complex fault zone structures like subduction zones or branched faults. Studying the interplay of stress conditions and angle dependence of neighbouring branches including inelastic material behaviour and its effects on rupture jumps and seismic activation helps to advance our understanding of earthquake source processes. An application is the simulation of a real large-scale subduction zone scenario including plasticity to validate the coupling of our dynamic rupture calculations to a tsunami model in the framework of the ASCETE project (http://www.ascete.de/). Andrews, D. J. (2005): Rupture dynamics with energy loss outside the slip zone, J. Geophys. Res., 110, B01307. Heinecke, A. (2014), A. Breuer, S. Rettenberger, M. Bader, A.-A. Gabriel, C. Pelties, A. Bode, W. Barth, K. Vaidyanathan, M. Smelyanskiy and P. Dubey: Petascale High Order Dynamic Rupture Earthquake Simulations on Heterogeneous Supercomputers. In Supercomputing 2014, The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis. IEEE, New Orleans, LA, USA, November 2014. Roten, D. (2014), K. B. Olsen, S.M. Day, Y. Cui, and D. Fäh: Expected seismic shaking in Los Angeles reduced by San Andreas fault zone plasticity, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 2769-2777.

Toward the Reliability of Fault Representation Methods in Finite Difference Schemes for Simulation of Shear Rupture Propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalguer, L. A.; Day, S. M.

2006-12-01

Accuracy in finite difference (FD) solutions to spontaneous rupture problems is controlled principally by the scheme used to represent the fault discontinuity, and not by the grid geometry used to represent the continuum. We have numerically tested three fault representation methods, the Thick Fault (TF) proposed by Madariaga et al (1998), the Stress Glut (SG) described by Andrews (1999), and the Staggered-Grid Split-Node (SGSN) methods proposed by Dalguer and Day (2006), each implemented in a the fourth-order velocity-stress staggered-grid (VSSG) FD scheme. The TF and the SG methods approximate the discontinuity through inelastic increments to stress components ("inelastic-zone" schemes) at a set of stress grid points taken to lie on the fault plane. With this type of scheme, the fault surface is indistinguishable from an inelastic zone with a thickness given by a spatial step dx for the SG, and 2dx for the TF model. The SGSN method uses the traction-at-split-node (TSN) approach adapted to the VSSG FD. This method represents the fault discontinuity by explicitly incorporating discontinuity terms at velocity nodes in the grid, with interactions between the "split nodes" occurring exclusively through the tractions (frictional resistance) acting between them. These tractions in turn are controlled by the jump conditions and a friction law. Our 3D tests problem solutions show that the inelastic-zone TF and SG methods show much poorer performance than does the SGSN formulation. The SG inelastic-zone method achieved solutions that are qualitatively meaningful and quantitatively reliable to within a few percent. The TF inelastic-zone method did not achieve qualitatively agreement with the reference solutions to the 3D test problem, and proved to be sufficiently computationally inefficient that it was not feasible to explore convergence quantitatively. The SGSN method gives very accurate solutions, and is also very efficient. Reliable solution of the rupture time is reached with a median resolution of the cohesive zone of only ~2 grid points, and efficiency is competitive with the Boundary Integral (BI) method. The results presented here demonstrate that appropriate fault representation in a numerical scheme is crucial to reduce uncertainties in numerical simulations of earthquake source dynamics and ground motion, and therefore important to improving our understanding of earthquake physics in general.

Superposition of tectonic structures leading elongated intramontane basin: the Alhabia basin (Internal Zones, Betic Cordillera)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-Martos, Manuel; Galindo-Zaldivar, Jesús; Martínez-Moreno, Francisco José; Calvo-Rayo, Raquel; Sanz de Galdeano, Carlos

2017-10-01

The relief of the Betic Cordillera was formed since the late Serravallian inducing the development of intramontane basins. The Alhabia basin, situated in the central part of the Internal Zones, is located at the intersection of the Alpujarran Corridor, the Tabernas basin, both trending E-W, and the NW-SE oriented Gádor-Almería basin. The geometry of the basin has been constrained by new gravity data. The basin is limited to the North by the Sierra de Filabres and Sierra Nevada antiforms that started to develop in Serravallian times under N-S shortening and to the south by Sierra Alhamilla and Sierra de Gádor antiforms. Plate convergence in the region rotated counter-clockwise in Tortonian times favouring the formation of E-W dextral faults. In this setting, NE-SW extension, orthogonal to the shortening direction, was accommodated by normal faults on the SW edge of Sierra Alhamilla. The Alhabia basin shows a cross-shaped depocentre in the zone of synform and fault intersection. This field example serves to constrain recent counter-clockwise stress rotation during the latest stages of Neogene-Quaternary basin evolution in the Betic Cordillera Internal Zones and underlines the importance of studying the basins' deep structure and its relation with the tectonic structures interactions.

Palaeopermeability structure within fault-damage zones: A snap-shot from microfracture analyses in a strike-slip system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomila, Rodrigo; Arancibia, Gloria; Mitchell, Thomas M.; Cembrano, Jose M.; Faulkner, Daniel R.

2016-02-01

Understanding fault zone permeability and its spatial distribution allows the assessment of fluid-migration leading to precipitation of hydrothermal minerals. This work is aimed at unraveling the conditions and distribution of fluid transport properties in fault zones based on hydrothermally filled microfractures, which reflect the ''frozen-in'' instantaneous advective hydrothermal activity and record palaeopermeability conditions of the fault-fracture system. We studied the Jorgillo Fault, an exposed 20 km long, left-lateral strike-slip fault, which juxtaposes Jurassic gabbro against metadiorite belonging to the Atacama Fault System in northern Chile. Tracings of microfracture networks of 19 oriented thin sections from a 400 m long transect across the main fault trace was carried out to estimate the hydraulic properties of the low-strain fault damagezone, adjacent to the high-strain fault core, by assuming penny-shaped microfractures of constant radius and aperture within an anisotropic fracture system. Palaeopermeability values of 9.1*10-11 to 3.2*10-13 m2 in the gabbro and of 5.0*10-10 to 1.2*10-13 m2 in the metadiorite were determined, both decreasing perpendicularly away from the fault core. Fracture porosity values range from 40.00% to 0.28%. The Jorgillo Fault has acted as a left-lateral dilational fault-bend, generating large-scale dilation sites north of the JF during co-seismic activity.

Reconnaissance study of late quaternary faulting along cerro GoDen fault zone, western Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mann, P.; Prentice, C.S.; Hippolyte, J.-C.; Grindlay, N.R.; Abrams, L.J.; Lao-Davila, D.

2005-01-01

The Cerro GoDen fault zone is associated with a curvilinear, continuous, and prominent topographic lineament in western Puerto Rico. The fault varies in strike from northwest to west. In its westernmost section, the fault is ???500 m south of an abrupt, curvilinear mountain front separating the 270- to 361-m-high La CaDena De San Francisco range from the Rio A??asco alluvial valley. The Quaternary fault of the A??asco Valley is in alignment with the bedrock fault mapped by D. McIntyre (1971) in the Central La Plata quadrangle sheet east of A??asco Valley. Previous workers have postulated that the Cerro GoDen fault zone continues southeast from the A??asco Valley and merges with the Great Southern Puerto Rico fault zone of south-central Puerto Rico. West of the A??asco Valley, the fault continues offshore into the Mona Passage (Caribbean Sea) where it is characterized by offsets of seafloor sediments estimated to be of late Quaternary age. Using both 1:18,500 scale air photographs taken in 1936 and 1:40,000 scale photographs taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1986, we iDentified geomorphic features suggestive of Quaternary fault movement in the A??asco Valley, including aligned and Deflected drainages, apparently offset terrace risers, and mountain-facing scarps. Many of these features suggest right-lateral displacement. Mapping of Paleogene bedrock units in the uplifted La CaDena range adjacent to the Cerro GoDen fault zone reveals the main tectonic events that have culminated in late Quaternary normal-oblique displacement across the Cerro GoDen fault. Cretaceous to Eocene rocks of the La CaDena range exhibit large folds with wavelengths of several kms. The orientation of folds and analysis of fault striations within the folds indicate that the folds formed by northeast-southwest shorTening in present-day geographic coordinates. The age of Deformation is well constrained as late Eocene-early Oligocene by an angular unconformity separating folDed, Deep-marine middle Eocene rocks from transgressive, shallow-marine rocks of middle-upper Oligocene age. Rocks of middle Oligocene-early Pliocene age above unconformity are gently folDed about the roughly east-west-trending Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands arch, which is well expressed in the geomorphology of western Puerto Rico. Arching appears ongoing because onshore and offshore late Quaternary oblique-slip faults closely parallel the complexly Deformed crest of the arch and appear to be related to exTensional strains focused in the crest of the arch. We estimate ???4 km of vertical throw on the Cerro GoDen fault based on the position of the carbonate cap north of the fault in the La CaDena De San Francisco and its position south of the fault inferred from seismic reflection data in Mayaguez Bay. Based on these observations, our interpretation of the kinematics and history of the Cerro GoDen fault zone incluDes two major phases of motion: (1) Eocene northeast-southwest shorTening possibly accompanied by left-lateral shearing as Determined by previous workers on the Great Southern Puerto Rico fault zone; and (2) post-early Pliocene regional arching of Puerto Rico accompanied by normal offset and right-lateral shear along faults flanking the crest of the arch. The second phase of Deformation accompanied east-west opening of the Mona rift and is inferred to continue to the present day. ?? 2005 Geological Society of America.

Frontal belt curvature and oblique ramp development at an obliquely collided irregular margin: Geometry and kinematics of the NW Taiwan fold-thrust belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacombe, Olivier; Mouthereau, FréDéRic; Angelier, Jacques; Chu, Hao-Tsu; Lee, Jian-Cheng

2003-06-01

Combined structural and tectonic analyses demonstrate that the NW Foothills of the Taiwan collision belt constitute mainly an asymmetric "primary arc" type fold-thrust belt. The arcuate belt developed as a basin-controlled salient in the portion of the foreland basin that was initially thicker, due to the presence of a precollisional depocenter (the Taihsi basin). Additional but limited buttress effects at end points related to interaction with foreland basement highs (Kuanyin and Peikang highs) may have also slightly enhanced curvature. The complex structural pattern results from the interaction between low-angle thrusting related to shallow decollement tectonics and oblique inversion of extensional structures of the margin on the southern edge of the Kuanyin basement high. The tectonic regimes and mechanisms revealed by the pattern of paleostress indicators such as striated outcrop-scale faults are combined with the orientation and geometry of offshore and onshore regional faults in order to accurately define the Quaternary kinematics of the propagating units. The kinematics of this curved range is mainly controlled by distributed transpressional wrenching along the southern edge of the Kuanyin high, leading to the development of a regional-scale oblique ramp, the Kuanyin transfer fault zone, which is conjugate of the NW trending Pakua transfer fault zone north of the Peikang basement high. The divergence between the N120° regional transport direction and the maximum compressive trend that evolved from N120° to N150° (and even to N-S) in the northern part of the arc effectively supports distributed wrench deformation along its northern limb during the Pleistocene. The geometry and kinematics of the western Taiwan Foothills therefore appear to be highly influenced by both the preorogenic structural pattern of the irregularly shaped Chinese passive margin and the obliquity of its Plio-Quaternary collision with the Philippine Sea plate.

Old stories and lost pieces of the Eastern Mediterranean puzzle: a new approach to the tectonic evolution of the Western Anatolia and the Aegean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaltırak, Cenk; Engin Aksu, Ali; Hall, Jeremy; Elitez, İrem

2015-04-01

During the last 20 or so years, the tectonic evolution of Aegean Sea and Western Anatolia has been dominantly explained by back-arc extension and escape tectonics along the North Anatolian Fault. Various datasets have been considered in the construction of general tectonic models, including the geometry of fault patterns, paleomagnetic data, extensional directions of the core complexes, characteristic changes in magmatism and volcanism, the different sense of Miocene rotation between the opposite sides of the Aegean Sea, and the stratigraphy and position of the Miocene and Pliocene-Quaternary basins. In these models, the roles of the Burdur-Fethiye Shear Zone, the Trakya-Eskişehir Fault Zone, the Anaximander Mountains and Isparta Angle have almost never been taken into consideration. The holistic evaluation of numerous land and marine researches in the Aegean Sea and western Anatolia suggest the following evolutionary stages: 1. during the early Miocene, Greece and western Anatolia were deformed under the NE-SW extensional tectonics associated with the back-arc extension, when core complexes and supra-detachment basins developed, 2. following the collision of the Anaximander Mountains and western Anatolia in early Miocene , the Isparta Angle locked this side of the western arc by generating a triangle-shaped compressional structure, 3. while the Isparta Angle penetrated into the Anatolia, the NE-striking Burdur-Fethiye Shear Zone in the west and NW-striking Trakya-Eskişehir Fault Zone in the north developed along the paleo-tectonic zones , 4. the formation of these two tectonic structures allowed the counterclockwise rotation of the western Anatolia in the middle Miocene and this rotation removed the effect of the back-arc extension on the western Anatolian Block, 5. the counterclockwise rotation developed with the early westward escape of the Western Anatolian reached up to 35-40o and Trakya-Eskişehir Fault Zone created a total dextral displacement of about 200 km. Therefore the original NE-SW extension records on the core complexes rotated to the N-S orientation and replace 45o in reference to the core complexes in Greece, 6. During this stage, the left-lateral shear along the Burdur-Fethiye Shear Zone indicates the southern part of the counterclockwise rotation. 7. The North Anatolian Fault started to form as the result of the collision of the Arabian Microplate and the Eurasian Plate in the late Miocene. This continental transform fault propagated into the Marmara Region in the late Pliocene. Its late westward escape by cutting the Trakya-Eskişehir Fault Zone on three points generates its transportation through Trakya-Eskişehir Fault Zone splays. 8. During the Miocene, while Greece was rotating 20o clockwise and continuing to be shaped by the NW-SE normal faults, which were formed as a result of back-arc tectonic, the late westward escape of the Anatolia changed the orientation of the NEE-SWW striking oblique-extensional fault-controlled Miocene basins to NE-SW direction. The rotational E-W basins, which had developed by the North Anatolian Fault tectonics, superimposed with these Miocene basins .

Using Temperature as a Tracer to Study Fluid Flow Patterns On and Offshore Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, W. C.

2017-12-01

Fluid flows are a dynamic system in the crust that affect crustal deformation and formation of natural resources. It is difficult to study fluid flow velocity instrumentally, but temperature data offers a quantitative tool that can be used as a tracer to study crustal hydrogeology. Here we present numerical techniques we have applied to study the fluid migration velocity along conduits including faults in on and offshore settings. Offshore SW Taiwan, we use a bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) from seismic profiles to study the temperature field at several hundred meters subbottom depth. The BSR is interpreted as the base of a gas hydrate stability zone under the seabed. Gas hydrates are solid-state water with gas molecules enclosed, which can be found where the temperature, pressure, and salinity conditions allow hydrates to be stable. Using phase diagrams and hydro pressure information we can derive the temperature at the BSR. BSRs are widespread in the study area, providing very dense temperature field information which shows upward bending of the BSR near faults. We have quantitatively estimated the 1D and 2D fluid flow patterns required to fit the BSR-based temperature field. This shows that fault zones can act as conduits with high permeability parallel to the fault planes. On the other hand, fault zones can also act as barriers to fluid flow, as demonstrated in our onland temperature data. We have collected temperature profiles at several bore holes onland that are very close together. The preliminary results show that the fault zones separate the ground water systems, causing very different geothermal gradients. Our results show that the physical properties of fault zones can be anisotropic, as demonstrated in previous work. Future work includes estimating the regional water expulsion budget offshore SW Taiwan, in particular for several gas hydrate sites.

Magnetotelluric study to characterize Kachchh Mainland Fault (KMF) and Katrol Hill Fault (KHF) in the western part of Kachchh region of Gujarat, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohan, Kapil; Chaudhary, Peush; Patel, Pruthul; Chaudhary, B. S.; Chopra, Sumer

2018-02-01

The Kachchh Mainland Fault (KMF) is a major E-W trending fault in the Kachchh region of Gujarat extending >150 km from Lakhpat village in the west to the Bhachau town in the east. The Katrol Hill Fault (KHF) is an E-W trending intrabasinal fault located in the central region of Kachchh Basin and the south of KMF. The western parts of both of the faults are characterized, and the sediment thickness has been estimated in the region using a Magnetotelluric (MT) survey at 17 sites along a 55 km long north-south profile with a site spacing of 2-3 km. The analysis reveals that the maximum sediment thickness is 2.3 km (Quaternary, Tertiary, and Mesozoic) in the region, out of which, the Mesozoic sediments feature a maximum thickness of 2 km. The estimated sediment thickness is found consistent with the thickness suggested by a deep borehole (depth approx. 2.5 km) drilled by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) at Nirona (Northern part of the study area). From 2-D inversion of the MT data, three conductive zones are identified from north to south. The first conductive zone is dipping nearly vertical down to 7-8 km depth. It becomes north-dipping below 8 km depth and is inferred as KMF. The second conductive zone is found steeply dipping into the southern limbs near Manjal village (28 km south of Nirona), which is inferred as the KHF. A vertical-dipping (down to 20 km depth) conductive zone has also been observed near Ulat village, located 16 km north of Manjal village and 12 km south of Nirona village. This conductive zone becomes listric north-dipping beyond 20 km depth. It is reported first time by a Geophysical survey in the region.

Brittle fracture damage around the Alpine Fault, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, J. N.; Toy, V.; Smith, S. A. F.; Boulton, C. J.; Massiot, C.; Mcnamara, D. D.

2017-12-01

We use field and drill-core samples to characterize macro- to micro-scale brittle fracture networks within the hanging-wall of New Zealand's Alpine Fault, an active plate-boundary fault that is approaching the end of its seismic cycle. Fracture density in the hanging-wall is roughly constant for distances of up to 500 m from the principal slip zone gouges (PSZs). Fractures >160 m from the PSZs are typically open and parallel to the regional mylonitic foliation or host rock schistosity, and likely formed as unloading joints during rapid exhumation of the hanging-wall at shallow depths. Fractures within c. 160 m of the PSZs are broadly oriented shear-fractures filled with gouge or cataclasite, and are interpreted to constitute the hanging-wall damage zone of the Alpine Fault. This is comparable to the 60-200 m wide "geophysical damage zone" estimated from low seismic wave velocities surrounding the Alpine Fault. Veins are pervasive within the c. 20 m-thick hanging-wall cataclasites and are most commonly filled by calcite, chlorite, muscovite and K-feldspar. Notably, there is a set of intragranular clast-hosted veins, as well as a younger set of veins that cross-cut both clasts and cataclasite matrix. The intragranular veins formed prior to cataclasis or during synchronous cataclasis and calcite-silicate mineralisation. Broad estimates for the depth of vein formation indicate that the cataclasites formed a c. 20 m wide actively deforming zone at depths of c. 4-8 km. Conversely, the cross-cutting veins are interpreted to represent off-fault damage within relatively indurated cataclasites following slip localization onto the <10 cm wide smectite-bearing PSZ gouges at depths of <4 km. Our observations therefore highlight a strong depth-dependence of the width of the actively deforming zone within the brittle seismogenic crust around the Alpine Fault.

Possible strand of the North Anatolian fault in the Thrace basin, Turkey - An interpretation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Perincek, D.

1991-02-01

This study focuses on the presence of a major strike-slip fault system in the Thrace basin. This new discovery is important for the geology of the Thrace basin and also brings a new perspective to petroleum exploration. The wrench fault system is named the Thrace strike-slip fault system (Perincek, 1988). Similarities with the North Anatolian fault zone prompted an investigation of the relationship between these two fault system.s The study area covers most of the Thrace region of Turkey. The purposes of this paper are (1) to outline the geometry of the Thrace fault system, (2) to demonstrate its tectonicmore » relation with other major structures of the region, (3) to define the age of its inception, and (4) to discuss possible magnitudes of the lateral displacement. The interpretation is based mainly on seismic data consisting of 180 seismic reflection profiles that have a total cumulative length of 2,800 km. Seismic data are complemented with subsurface control from 54 wells.« less

Stress induced near fault-zone breakout rotation: Two case studies in TCDP and JFAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, H. Y.; Brodsky, E. E.; Moe, K.; Kinoshita, M.

2014-12-01

Within the past decade, two successful rapid-response drilling projects have measured breakouts within the nearfault of a recently ruptured fault. Breakout observation is the direct way to detect the far and near filed stress orientation in drilling. Here we compare those data. In 2006, ICDP performed an inland drilling project to penetrate Chelungpu fault plane in central of Taiwan, which had recently slipped in 1999 Mw 7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake. This drilling project succeeded in full coring and collecting comprehensive logging data in the borehole. The resistivity images run by Formation Micro Imager (FMI) indicated that a breakout rotation in the vicinity of the fault (1111mbf). Leak-off tests on site constrained the magnitude of minimum horizontal principal stress. Here we use these data to determine the stress variation in the fault plane in our breakout dislocation model. Based on the amount of breakout azimuth, rotation and fault geometry, the stress drop can be estimated in this model. In 2012, IODP initiated a rapid drilling project after the 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake in Japan Trench. Due to the deep-water depth, only a real-time resistivity image recorded by Logging While Drilling (LWD) and few core samples are recovered by this expedition. However, the breakout azimuth occurred near the plate boundary (820mbsf) represents the stress disturbance after the dramatic slip comparing to TCDP case. In this research, we are attempting to discuss the possible effect factors and reconstruct the geo-mechanical models to interpret the breakout distribution observed from logging data and the stress state after these huge earthquakes.

Variability of High Resolution Vp/Vs and Seismic Velocity Structure Along the Nicaragua/Costa Rica Segment of the Middle America Subduction Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore-Driskell, M. M.; DeShon, H. R.

2012-12-01

Previous studies of subduction zone earthquakes have shown that fault conditions control earthquake rupture and behavior. There are many potential properties that may vary along the subduction margin that could cause fault zone variability, including plate age, temperature, and/or geometry, convergence rate, state of hydration, overriding geology, subducting sediment packages, or subducting seamounts/ridges. The Nicaragua/Costa Rica segment of the Middle America subduction zone is highly variable along strike and down dip. We use this margin to examine how these variable conditions affect earthquake behavior by determining local ratios of compressional to shear wave velocities (Vp/Vs) and detailed seismic velocity structure. Vp/Vs is one of the best tools available to reliably define fault conditions because it is directly related to the Poisson's ratio of the fault material, and it is sensitive to the presence of fluids and changing permeability. Thus with well-resolved near source Vp/Vs measurements we can infer composition and/or high fluid pressures. Here, we use a technique developed by Lin and Shearer (2007) to determine local Vp/Vs in small areas (~2 x 2 x 2 km) with high seismicity. Within the seismogenic zone, we find the margin to be highly variable along strike in Vp/Vs and seismic velocity. These changes correlate to documented variability in incoming plate properties. Increased Vp/Vs is associated with intraplate earthquakes along Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica. We compare our results with other geophysical studies including new high-resolution images of seismic velocity structure, an extensive catalog of high quality relocated events, apparent stress calculations, coupling, and SSE/NVT occurrence. A better understanding of the connection between fault properties and earthquake behavior gives insight into the role of fluids in seismogenesis, the spectrum of earthquake rupture, and possible hazard at subduction zones.

Breaking the oceanic lithosphere of a subducting slab: the 2013 Khash, Iran earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnhart, William D.; Hayes, Gavin P.; Samsonov, S.; Fielding, E.; Seidman, L.

2014-01-01

[1] Large intermediate depth, intraslab normal faulting earthquakes are a common, dangerous, but poorly understood phenomenon in subduction zones owing to a paucity of near field geophysical observations. Seismological and high quality geodetic observations of the 2013 Mw7.7 Khash, Iran earthquake reveal that at least half of the oceanic lithosphere, including the mantle and entire crust, ruptured in a single earthquake, confirming with unprecedented resolution that large earthquakes can nucleate in and rupture through the oceanic mantle. A rupture width of at least 55 km is required to explain both InSAR observations and teleseismic waveforms, with the majority of slip occurring in the oceanic mantle. Combining our well-constrained earthquake slip distributions with the causative fault orientation and geometry of the local subduction zone, we hypothesize that the Khash earthquake likely occurred as the combined result of slab bending forces and dehydration of hydrous minerals along a preexisting fault formed prior to subduction.

Shallow velocity structure of the Alaska Peninsula subduction zone and implications for controls on seismic behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Shillington, D. J.; Becel, A.; Nedimovic, M. R.; Kuehn, H.; Webb, S. C.; Abers, G. A.; Keranen, K. M.; Saffer, D. M.

2014-12-01

Downdip and along-strike variations in the seismic behavior of subduction zone megathrust faults are thought to be strongly controlled by changes in the material properties along the plate boundary. Roughness and hydration of the incoming plate, fluid pressure and lithology in the subducting sediment channel are likely to control the distribution of shallower rupture. Here, we focus on the subduction zone offshore of the Alaska Peninsula. In 2011, the ALEUT program acquired deep penetration multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection and ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) data across the apparently freely sliding Shumagin Gap, the locked Semidi segment that last ruptured in 1938 M8.2 earthquake, and the locked western Kodiak asperity, which ruptured in the 1964 M9.2 earthquake. Seismic reflection data from the ALEUT cruise reveal significant variability in the thickness of sediment on the incoming plate and entering the trench, and the roughness and degree of hydration of the incoming plate. Oceanic crust entering the trench in the Shumagin gap is rugged with extensive faults and only a thin layer of sediment (<0.5 km thick). Farther east in the Semidi segment, the subducting plate has a smoother surface with thicker sediments (~1 km thick) and less faulting/hydration. To better constrain the properties of the accretionary prism and shallow part of the plate boundary, we are undertaking travel time tomography using reflection/refraction phases in OBS and MCS data, and constraints on the interface geometry from MCS images to estimate the detailed shallow velocity structure, with particular focus on properties within the shallow subduction channel. We observe refractions and reflections in OBS data from the shallow part of the subduction zone in both the Shumagin Gap and Semidi segment, including reflections off the top and base of what appears to be a layer of subducting sediment, which can be used for this work. We plan to present initial models of the shallow part of the subduction zone from both segments and discuss comparisons between the two.

Right-lateral shear across Iran and kinematic change in the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, M. B.; Kheirkhah, M.; Emami, M.

2009-04-01

New offset determinations for right-lateral strike-slip faults in Iran redefine the kinematics of the Arabia-Eurasia collision. A series of right-lateral strike-slip faults is present across Iran between 48° and 57° E. Fault strikes vary between NW-SE and NNW-SSE. Individual faults west of ~53° E were active in the late Tertiary, but have limited evidence of activity. Faults east of ~53° E are seismically active and/or have geomorphic evidence for Holocene slip. None of the faults affects the GPS-derived regional velocity field, indicating active slip rates are ≤2 mm/yr. We estimate overall slip on these faults from offset geological and geomorphic markers, based on observations from satellite imagery, digital topography, geology maps and our own fieldwork observations, and combine these results with published estimates for fault slip in the east of the study area. Total offset of the Takab, Soltanieh, Indes, Bid Hand, Qom, Kashan, Deh Shir, Anar, Daviran, Kuh Banan and Dehu faults is at least 270 km and possibly higher. Other faults (e.g. Rafsanjan) have unknown amounts of right-lateral slip. Collectively, these faults are inferred to have accommodated part of the Arabia-Eurasia convergence by two mechanisms: (1) anti-clockwise, vertical axis rotations; (2) strain partitioning with coeval NE-SW crustal thickening in the Turkish-Iranian plateau to produce ~350 km of north-south plate convergence. The strike-slip faulting across Iran requires along-strike lengthening of the deformation zone. This was possible until the Pliocene, when the Afghan crust collided with the western margin of the Indian plate, thereby sealing off a free face at the eastern side of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone. Continuing Arabia-Eurasia plate convergence had to be accommodated in new ways and new areas, leading to the present pattern of faulting from eastern Iran to western Turkey.

The analysis of the Tectonics - SSS - Seismicity System in the 3D-model of the Rasvumchorr Mine - Central Open Pit Natural and Technical System (Khibiny)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhirov, Dmitry; Klimov, Sergey; Zhirova, Anzhela; Panteleev, Alexey; Rybin, Vadim

2017-04-01

Main hazardous factors during the operation of deposits represent tectonics (structural dislocation), strain and stress state (SSS), and seismicity. The cause and effect relationships in the Fault Tectonics - SSS - Seismicity system were analyzed using a 3D geological and structural Rasvumchorr Mine - Central Open Pit model. This natural and technical system (NTS) has resulted from the development of the world-class apatite-nepheline deposits the Apatite Circus and Rasvumchorr Plateau. The 3D model integrates various spatial data on the earth's surface topography before and after mining, geometry of mines and dumps, SSS measurements and rock pressure, seismicity, fault tectonics and etc. The analysis of the 3D model has clearly demonstrated the localization of three main seismic emanation zones in the areas of maximum anthropogenic variation of the initial rock state, and namely: ore pass zone under the Southern edge of the Central open pit, collapse and joining zone of the Rasvumchorr Mine and NW edge of the open pit, and zone under the Apatite Circus plate - collapse console. And, on the contrary, in the area of a large dump under the underground mine, a perennial seismic minimum zone was identified. The relation of the seismicity and fault tectonics was revealed only in three local sectors near come certain echelon fissures of the Main Fault(MF). No confinement of increased seismicity areas to the MF and other numerous echelon fissures is observed. The same picture occurs towards manifestations of rock pressure. Only an insignificant part of echelon fissures (including low rank of hierarchy) controls hazardous manifestations of rock pressure (dumps, strong deformations of the mine contour, etc.). It is shown that the anthropogenic factor (explosive, geometry and arrangement of mined spaces and collapse console), as well as the time factor significantly change orientation and structure (contrast and heterogeneity) of the stress fields. Time series of natural geophysical field fluctuations were additionally analyzed in order to find relationships with the seismicity. A sustainable regular relationship between the seismicity and solar and lunar tides has been observed; though, medium (classes 3 to 6) and high (class 7 and above) energy values of the events reveal various symmetry towards the Lunar cycle phases. The relationship of seismicity with other geophysical fields, e.g., geomagnetic disturbances, is defined as weak to very weak. The anthropogenic (man-induced) factor mostly influences the seismicity in the NTS rock masses. A law for shifting of maximum seismicity zones following the advance of the mining front has been found. The 3D model integrates various spatial data on the earth's surface topography before and after mining, geometry of mines and dumps, SSS measurements, and rock pressure, seismicity, fault tectonics, and other manifestations. The study is made within R&D topic No. 0231-2015-0013. The collection, processing, and analysis of data for natural stress fields became possible due to the support from RSF grant 14-17-00751.

Continuous borehole strain in the San Andreas fault zone before, during, and after the 28 June 1992, MW 7.3 Landers, California, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnston, M.J.S.; Linde, A.T.; Agnew, D.C.

1994-01-01

High-precision strain was observed with a borehole dilational strainmeter in the Devil's Punchbowl during the 11:58 UT 28 June 1992 MW 7.3 Landers earthquake and the large Big Bear aftershock (MW 6.3). The strainmeter is installed at a depth of 176 m in the fault zone approximately midway between the surface traces of the San Andreas and Punchbowl faults and is about 100 km from the 85-km-long Landers rupture. We have questioned whether unusual amplified strains indicating precursive slip or high fault compliance occurred on the faults ruptured by the Landers earthquake, or in the San Andreas fault zone before and during the earthquake, whether static offsets for both the Landers and Big Bear earthquakes agree with expectation from geodetic and seismologic models of the ruptures and with observations from a nearby two-color geodimeter network, and whether postseismic behavior indicated continued slip on the Landers rupture or local triggered slip on the San Andreas. We show that the strain observed during the earthquake at this instrument shows no apparent amplification effects. There are no indications of precursive strain in these strain data due to either local slip on the San Andreas or precursive slip on the eventual Landers rupture. The observations are generally consistent with models of the earthquake in which fault geometry and slip have the same form as that determined by either inversion of the seismic data or inversion of geodetically determined ground displacements produced by the earthquake. Finally, there are some indications of minor postseismic behavior, particularly during the month following the earthquake.

The inverted Triassic rift of the Marrakech High Atlas: A reappraisal of basin geometries and faulting histories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domènech, Mireia; Teixell, Antonio; Babault, Julien; Arboleya, Maria-Luisa

2015-11-01

The High Atlas of Morocco is an aborted rift developed during the Triassic-Jurassic and moderately inverted during the Cenozoic. The Marrakech High Atlas, with large exposures of basement and Triassic early syn-rift deposits, is ideal to investigate the geometries of the deepest parts of a rift, constituting a good analogue for pre-salt domains. It allows unraveling geometries and kinematics of the extensional and compressional structures and the influence that they exert over one another. A detailed structural study of the main Triassic basins and basin-margin faults of the Marrakech High Atlas shows that only a few rift faults were reactivated during the Cenozoic compressional stage in contrast to previous interpretations, and emphasizes that fault reactivation cannot be taken for granted in inverted rift systems. Preserved extensional features demonstrate a dominant dip-slip opening kinematics with strike-slip playing a minor role, at variance to models proposing a major strike-slip component along the main basin-bounding faults, including faults belonging to the Tizi n'Test fault zone. A new Middle Triassic paleogeographic reconstruction shows that the Marrakech High Atlas was a narrow and segmented orthogonal rift (sub-perpendicular to the main regional extension direction which was ~ NW-SE), in contrast to the central and eastern segments of the Atlas rift which developed obliquely. This difference in orientation is attributed to the indented Ouzellarh Precambrian salient, part of the West African Craton, which deflected the general rift trend in the area evidencing the major role of inherited lithospheric anisotropies in rift direction and evolution. As for the Cenozoic inversion, total orogenic shortening is moderate (~ 16%) and appears accommodated by basement-involved large-scale folding, and by newly formed shortcut and by-pass thrusting, with rare left-lateral strike-slip indicators. Triassic faults commonly acted as buttresses.

Geophysical Investigation of the Lake City Fault Zone, Surprise Valley, California, and Implications for Geothermal Circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McPhee, D. K.; Glen, J. M.; Egger, A. E.; Chuchel, B. A.

2009-12-01

New audiomagnetotelluric (AMT), gravity, and magnetic data were collected in Surprise Valley, northwestern Basin and Range, in order to investigate the role that the Lake City Fault Zone (LCFZ) may play in controlling geothermal circulation in the area. Surprise Valley hosts an extensional geothermal system currently undergoing exploration for development on several scales. The focus of much of that exploration has been the LCFZ, a set of NW-SE-trending structures that has been suggested on the basis of (1) low-relief scarps in the NW portion of the zone, (2) dissolved mineral-rich groundwater chemistry along its length, and (3) parallelism with a strong regional fabric that includes the Brothers Fault Zone. The LCFZ extends across the valley at a topographic high, intersecting the N-S-trending basin-bounding faults where major hot springs occur. This relationship suggests that the LCFZ may be a zone of permeability for flow of hydrothermal fluids. Previous potential field data indicate that there is no vertical offset along this fault zone, and little signature at all in either the gravity or magnetic data; along with the lack of surface expression along most of its length, the subsurface geometry of the LCFZ and its influence on geothermal fluid circulation remains enigmatic. The LCFZ therefore provides an ideal opportunity to utilize AMT data, which measures subsurface resistivity and therefore - unlike potential field data - is highly sensitive to the presence of saline fluids. AMT data and additional gravity and magnetic data were collected in 2009 along 3 profiles perpendicular to the LCFZ in order to define the subsurface geometry and conductivity of the fault zone down to depths of ~ 500 m. AMT soundings were collected using the Geometrics Stratagem EH4 system, a four channel, natural and controlled-source tensor system recording in the range of 10 to 92,000 Hz. To augment the low signal in the natural field a transmitter of two horizontal-magnetic dipoles was used from 800 to 56,000 Hz. One profile extends within 200 m of hot springs and fault scarps near the northwestern end of the LCFZ. There, preliminary data show low resistivities (< 5 ohm-m) at stations closest to the hot springs suggesting that the data are sensitive to high concentrations of salts characteristic of geothermal fluids in the area. Two additional profiles extend across the LCFZ further to the southeast where it is at its widest and most diffuse. Profiles were ~ 3 km-long with station spacing of ~ 200 - 400 m, and data were recorded in a coordinate system parallel to and perpendicular to the regional geologic-strike of the LCFZ. Two-dimensional (2D) inverse models were computed using the conjugate gradient, finite-difference method of Rodi and Mackie (2001). In addition to AMT data, ground magnetic and gravity data were collected along the AMT profiles. These data, combined with the 2D resistivity models, will be used to image the LCFZ at depth and determine whether it is a single through-going fracture zone that potentially hosts hydrothermal fluids within the shallow (< 1km) subsurface or whether it is simply a set of unrelated features with little or no geophysical expression.

Origin of the Blytheville Arch, and long-term displacement on the New Madrid seismic zone, central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pratt, Thomas L.; Williams, Robert; Odum, Jackson K.; Stephenson, William J.

2013-01-01

The southern arm of the New Madrid seismic zone of the central United States coincides with the buried, ~110 km by ~20 km Blytheville Arch antiform within the Cambrian–Ordovician Reelfoot rift graben. The Blytheville Arch has been interpreted at various times as a compressive structure, an igneous intrusion, or a sediment diapir. Reprocessed industry seismic-reflection profiles presented here show a strong similarity between the Blytheville Arch and pop-up structures, or flower structures, within strike-slip fault systems. The Blytheville Arch formed in the Paleozoic, but post–Mid-Cretaceous to Quaternary strata show displacement or folding indicative of faulting. Faults within the graben structure but outside of the Blytheville Arch also appear to displace Upper Cretaceous and perhaps younger strata, indicating that past faulting was not restricted to the Blytheville Arch and New Madrid seismic zone. As much as 10–12.5 km of strike slip can be estimated from apparent shearing of the Reelfoot arm of the New Madrid seismic zone. There also appears to be ~5–5.5 km of shearing of the Reelfoot topographic scarp at the north end of the southern arm of the New Madrid seismic zone and of the southern portion of Crowley's Ridge, which is a north-trending topographic ridge just south of the seismic zone. These observations suggest that there has been substantial strike-slip displacement along the Blytheville Arch and southern arm of the New Madrid seismic zone, that strike-slip extended north and south of the modern seismic zone, and that post–Mid-Cretaceous (post-Eocene?) faulting was not restricted to the Blytheville Arch or to currently active faults within the New Madrid seismic zone.

Estimating Fault Friction From Seismic Signals in the Laboratory

DOE PAGES

Rouet-Leduc, Bertrand; Hulbert, Claudia; Bolton, David C.; ...

2018-01-29

Nearly all aspects of earthquake rupture are controlled by the friction along the fault that progressively increases with tectonic forcing but in general cannot be directly measured. We show that fault friction can be determined at any time, from the continuous seismic signal. In a classic laboratory experiment of repeating earthquakes, we find that the seismic signal follows a specific pattern with respect to fault friction, allowing us to determine the fault's position within its failure cycle. Using machine learning, we show that instantaneous statistical characteristics of the seismic signal are a fingerprint of the fault zone shear stress andmore » frictional state. Further analysis of this fingerprint leads to a simple equation of state quantitatively relating the seismic signal power and the friction on the fault. Finally, these results show that fault zone frictional characteristics and the state of stress in the surroundings of the fault can be inferred from seismic waves, at least in the laboratory.« less

Estimating Fault Friction From Seismic Signals in the Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rouet-Leduc, Bertrand; Hulbert, Claudia; Bolton, David C.

Nearly all aspects of earthquake rupture are controlled by the friction along the fault that progressively increases with tectonic forcing but in general cannot be directly measured. We show that fault friction can be determined at any time, from the continuous seismic signal. In a classic laboratory experiment of repeating earthquakes, we find that the seismic signal follows a specific pattern with respect to fault friction, allowing us to determine the fault's position within its failure cycle. Using machine learning, we show that instantaneous statistical characteristics of the seismic signal are a fingerprint of the fault zone shear stress andmore » frictional state. Further analysis of this fingerprint leads to a simple equation of state quantitatively relating the seismic signal power and the friction on the fault. Finally, these results show that fault zone frictional characteristics and the state of stress in the surroundings of the fault can be inferred from seismic waves, at least in the laboratory.« less

Gravity and magnetic expression of the San Leandro gabbro with implications for the geometry and evolution of the Hayward Fault zone, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, D.A.; Hildenbrand, T.G.; Jachens, R.C.

2003-01-01

The Hayward Fault, one of the most hazardous faults in northern California, trends north-northwest and extends for about 90 km along the eastern San Francisco Bay region. At numerous locations along its length, distinct and elongate gravity and magnetic anomalies correlate with mapped mafic and ultramafic rocks. The most prominent of these anomalies reflects the 16-km-long San Leandro gabbroic block. Inversion of magnetic and gravity data constrained with physical property measurements is used to define the subsurface extent of the San Leandro gabbro body and to speculate on its origin and relationship to the Hayward Fault Zone. Modeling indicates that the San Leandro gabbro body is about 3 km wide, dips about 75??-80?? northeast, and extends to a depth of at least 6 km. One of the most striking results of the modeling, which was performed independently of seismicity data, is that accurately relocated seismicity is concentrated along the western edge or stratigraphically lower bounding surface of the San Leandro gabbro. The western boundary of the San Leandro gabbro block is the base of an incomplete ophiolite sequence and represented at one time, a low-angle roof thrust related to the tectonic wedging of the Franciscan Complex. After repeated episodes of extension and attenuation, the roof thrust of this tectonic wedge was rotated to near vertical, and in places, the strike-slip Hayward Fault probably reactivated or preferentially followed this pre-existing feature. Because earthquakes concentrate near the edge of the San Leandro gabbro but tend to avoid its interior, we qualitatively explore mechanical models to explain how this massive igneous block may influence the distribution of stress. The microseismicity cluster along the western flank of the San Leandro gabbro leads us to suggest that this stressed volume may be the site of future moderate to large earthquakes. Improved understanding of the three-dimensional geometry and physical properties along the Hayward Fault will provide additional constraints on seismic hazard probability, earthquake modeling, and fault interactions that are applicable to other major strike-slip faults around the world.

A structural transect across the Mongolian Western Altai: Active transpressional mountain building in central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickson Cunningham, W.; Windley, Brian F.; Dorjnamjaa, D.; Badamgarov, G.; Saandar, M.

1996-02-01

We present results from the first detailed geological transect across the Mongolian Western Altai using modern methods of structural geology and fault kinematic analysis. Our purpose was to document the structures responsible for Cenozoic uplift of the range in order to better understand processes of intracontinental mountain building. Historical right-lateral strike-slip and oblique-slip earthquakes have previously been documented from the Western Altai, and many mountain fronts are marked by active fault scarps indicating current tectonic activity and uplift. The dominant structures in the range are long (>200 km) NNW trending right-lateral strike-slip faults. Our transect can be divided into three separate domains that contain active, right-lateral strike-slip master faults and thrust faults with opposing vergence. The current deformation regime is thus transpressional. Each domain has an asymmetric flower structure cross-sectional geometry, and the transect as a whole is interpreted as three separate large flower structures. The mechanism of uplift along the transect appears to be horizontal and vertical growth of flower structures rooted into the dominant right-lateral strike-slip faults. The major Bulgan Fault forms the southern structural boundary to the range and is a 3.5-km-wide brittle-ductile zone that has accommodated reverse and left-lateral strike-slip displacements. It appears to be linked to the North Gobi Fault Zone to the east and Irtysh Fault zone to the west and thus may be over 900 km in length. Two major ductile left-lateral extensional shear zones were identified in the interior of the range that appear to be preserved structures related to a regional Paleozoic or Mesozoic extensional event. Basement rocks along the transect are dominantly metavolcanic, metasedimentary, or intrusive units probably representing a Paleozoic accretionary prism and arc complex. The extent to which Cenozoic uplift has been accommodated by reactivation of older structures and inversion of older basins is unknown and will require further study. As previously suggested by others, Cenozoic uplift of the Altai is interpreted to be due to NE-SW directed compressional stress resulting from the Indo-Eurasian collision 2500 km to the south.

Constraints on Lithospheric Rheology From Fault Displacement Rate Histories and Numerical Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavier, L. L.; Bennett, R. A.; Anderson, M. L.; Matti, J. C.

2005-05-01

Recent displacement rate and geodetic data on the San Andreas, San Jacinto and eastern California shear zone suggest that changes in the geometry and/or the magnitude of the applied forces on the crust (e.g., a general or local change in fault strike relative to plate motion) can generate strain repartitioning within the crust on time scales of millions to thousands of years. The rates over which this repartitioning takes place in response to changing forces are controlled by the rheological evolution of the lithosphere. We investigate the implications of observed fault displacement histories for the rheology of the lithosphere using 2.5 D numerical experiments of deformation in an analogue system. The numerical technique used allows for the spontaneous formation of elastoplastic shear zones and flow in a Maxwell viscoelastic lower crust. The results show that when a strike slip fault is rotated to strike obliquely to the direction of relative plate motion it causes changes in bending and frictional stresses due to the formation of topography. To accommodate these changes, a conjugate system of oblique-striking strike slip faults develops. The total displacement is then slowly distributed over the new fault system on the time scale of mountain building (i.e. million of years). The rate of change is dependent on the strength of the lithosphere as well as the amount of obliquity applied on the initial strike-slip fault. In other numerical experiments we show that in a system of multiple strike-slip fault zones, displacement rate changes can occur over a time scale of about 100 kyr. This time scale corresponds to the Maxwell time at the brittle ductile transition (BDT). In such a system the lithospheric displacement is alternatively distributed (over 100 kyr) in clusters localized in lower crustal channels and over strike-slip fault zones. We show that the clustering time scale is controlled by the ratio of upper to lower crustal strength. This incomplete exercise shows how displacement rates data sets spanning thousands to millions of years can be used to constrain numerical experiments of lithospheric deformation and, in doing so, place new constraints on the rheology of the lithosphere.

Seismic environment of the Burro Flats site, Ventura County, California: a brief, limited literature review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wentworth, Carl M.; Bonilla, Manuel G.; Buchanan, Jane M.

1969-01-01

A limited review of available literature suggests that the maximum horizontal ground acceleration at the Burro Flats site from earthquakes in the region could range from less than 0.1 to 0.49 g. A magnitude 8 earthquake on the nearby San Andreas fault could produce ground acceleration in the range 0.18 to 0.31 g, and an expectable larger earthquake on that fault could produce larger accelerations. Ground motion from possible smaller but closer earthquakes ranges up to 0.49 g for an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 on the adjacent "Burro Flats fault". Estimation of these accelerations is dependent on determining the geologic environment of the site, the appropriate earthquake magnitudes to be assigned significant faults in that environment, and the attenuation of shaking between the earthquake epicenters and the site. The site lies within a tectonically active region--the historically active San Andreas fault is only 34 miles to the northeast, and lesser faults showing evidence of late Quaternary displacement are located closer to the site. Evidence for youthfulness of these lesser faults varies, and except for the active Newport-Inglewood zone and the Santa Ynez fault, they qualify as possible but as yet-unproven active faults. All known faults with appropriate length to site-distance ratios that are reasonably classed as late Quaternary faults are discussed, and are included as potential earthquake generators. Earthquakes of appropriate magnitude to be assigned to each fault are determined by assuming rupture in one event of half the map length of the fault, and applying relations (determined by several authors) between earthquake magnitude and rupture length in historic events to determine magnitudes. These magnitudes are, for the purposes of this brief review, probably reasonable estimates of the capabilities of each fault, although earthquakes of larger magnitude are possible. Accelerations are then determined by assuming earthquakes of the above determined magnitude placed at the closest point to the site on the fault trace, and applying attenuation curves of three different authors. Considerable uncertainty is inherent in the rough estimates of seismic accelerations made herein, for they are dependent on a chain of judgments, each of which, in itself, is uncertain. Present knowledge of the geology of the region is incomplete, so that geometry and structural relations of the faults are in part uncertain, and much evidence bearing on the youth of the faults has yet to be gathered and evaluated. Estimation of earthquake magnitude is also uncertain, and even assuming that approximate magnitude is known rather than estimated from fault length, estimates of maximum ground acceleration may differ greatly depending on the authority used. Further consideration of ground acceleration at the site might refine the estimates made herein and resolve the apparent contradictions between the authorities cited. Attention to frequency and duration of strong shaking would also be appropriate. This study was undertaken at the request of A. J. Pressesky, Assistant Director for Nuclear Safety, Division of Reactor-Development and Technology, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, in March, 1969. It is based on a brief review of pertinent literature to which the authors had immediate access during the few weeks (April-May, 1969) available for report preparation. Because the report is limited both in scope and thoroughness, it must be considered no more than a first estimate of the tectonic and seismic environment of the Burro Flats site, and should not be considered sufficient, in itself, as a basis for design. The report is intended, however, to indicate the breadth of inquiry that is necessary in the consideration of ground acceleration at sites in California, and to indicate the incomplete status of geologic mapping and other geologic studies in the region. The report describes the tectonic environment of the Burro Flats site, discusses 10 pertinent faults individually, and presents possible earthquake magnitudes for those faults and resultant potential ground accelerations at the site.

Active Tectonics of Himalayan Faults/Thrusts System in Northern India on the basis of recent & Paleo earthquake Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, S.; Biswal, S.; Parija, M. P.

2016-12-01

The Himalaya overrides the Indian plate along a decollement fault, referred as the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT). The 2400 km long Himalayan mountain arc in the northern boundary of the Indian sub-continent is one of the most seismically active regions of the world. The Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) is characterized by an abrupt physiographic and tectonic break between the Himalayan front and the Indo-Gangetic plain. The HFT represents the southern surface expression of the MHT on the Himalayan front. The tectonic zone between the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and the HFT encompasses the Himalayan Frontal Fault System (HFFS). The zone indicates late Quaternary-Holocene active deformation. Late Quaternary intramontane basin of Dehradun flanked to the south by the Mohand anticline lies between the MBT and the HFT in Garhwal Sub Himalaya. Slip rate 13-15 mm/yr has been estimated on the HFT based on uplifted strath terrace on the Himalyan front (Wesnousky et al. 2006). An out of sequence active fault, Bhauwala Thrust (BT), is observed between the HFT and the MBT. The Himalayan Frontal Fault System includes MBT, BT, HFT and PF active fault structures (Thakur, 2013). The HFFS structures were developed analogous to proto-thrusts in subduction zone, suggesting that the plate boundary is not a single structure, but series of structures across strike. Seismicity recorded by WIHG shows a concentrated belt of seismic events located in the Main Central Thrust Zone and the physiographic transition zone between the Higher and Lesser Himalaya. However, there is quiescence in the Himalayan frontal zone where surface rupture and active faults are reported. GPS measurements indicate the segment between the southern extent of microseismicity zone and the HFT is locked. The great earthquake originating in the locked segment rupture the plate boundary fault and propagate to the Himalaya front and are registered as surface rupture reactivating the fault in the HFFS.

Geometric incompatibility in a fault system.

PubMed Central

Gabrielov, A; Keilis-Borok, V; Jackson, D D

1996-01-01

Interdependence between geometry of a fault system, its kinematics, and seismicity is investigated. Quantitative measure is introduced for inconsistency between a fixed configuration of faults and the slip rates on each fault. This measure, named geometric incompatibility (G), depicts summarily the instability near the fault junctions: their divergence or convergence ("unlocking" or "locking up") and accumulation of stress and deformations. Accordingly, the changes in G are connected with dynamics of seismicity. Apart from geometric incompatibility, we consider deviation K from well-known Saint Venant condition of kinematic compatibility. This deviation depicts summarily unaccounted stress and strain accumulation in the region and/or internal inconsistencies in a reconstruction of block- and fault system (its geometry and movements). The estimates of G and K provide a useful tool for bringing together the data on different types of movement in a fault system. An analog of Stokes formula is found that allows determination of the total values of G and K in a region from the data on its boundary. The phenomenon of geometric incompatibility implies that nucleation of strong earthquakes is to large extent controlled by processes near fault junctions. The junctions that have been locked up may act as transient asperities, and unlocked junctions may act as transient weakest links. Tentative estimates of K and G are made for each end of the Big Bend of the San Andreas fault system in Southern California. Recent strong earthquakes Landers (1992, M = 7.3) and Northridge (1994, M = 6.7) both reduced K but had opposite impact on G: Landers unlocked the area, whereas Northridge locked it up again. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 PMID:11607673

Fault zone identification in the eastern part of the Persian Gulf based on combined seismic attributes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirkamali, M. S.; Keshavarz FK, N.; Bakhtiari, M. R.

2013-02-01

Faults, as main pathways for fluids, play a critical role in creating regions of high porosity and permeability, in cutting cap rock and in the migration of hydrocarbons into the reservoir. Therefore, accurate identification of fault zones is very important in maximizing production from petroleum traps. Image processing and modern visualization techniques are provided for better mapping of objects of interest. In this study, the application of fault mapping in the identification of fault zones within the Mishan and Aghajari formations above the Guri base unconformity surface in the eastern part of Persian Gulf is investigated. Seismic single- and multi-trace attribute analyses are employed separately to determine faults in a vertical section, but different kinds of geological objects cannot be identified using individual attributes only. A mapping model is utilized to improve the identification of the faults, giving more accurate results. This method is based on combinations of all individual relevant attributes using a neural network system to create combined attributes, which gives an optimal view of the object of interest. Firstly, a set of relevant attributes were separately calculated on the vertical section. Then, at interpreted positions, some example training locations were manually selected in each fault and non-fault class by an interpreter. A neural network was trained on combinations of the attributes extracted at the example training locations to generate an optimized fault cube. Finally, the results of the fault and nonfault probability cube were estimated, which the neural network applied to the entire data set. The fault probability cube was obtained with higher mapping accuracy and greater contrast, and with fewer disturbances in comparison with individual attributes. The computed results of this study can support better understanding of the data, providing fault zone mapping with reliable results.

Spectral element modelling of fault-plane reflections arising from fluid pressure distributions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haney, M.; Snieder, R.; Ampuero, J.-P.; Hofmann, R.

2007-01-01

The presence of fault-plane reflections in seismic images, besides indicating the locations of faults, offers a possible source of information on the properties of these poorly understood zones. To better understand the physical mechanism giving rise to fault-plane reflections in compacting sedimentary basins, we numerically model the full elastic wavefield via the spectral element method (SEM) for several different fault models. Using well log data from the South Eugene Island field, offshore Louisiana, we derive empirical relationships between the elastic parameters (e.g. P-wave velocity and density) and the effective-stress along both normal compaction and unloading paths. These empirical relationships guide the numerical modelling and allow the investigation of how differences in fluid pressure modify the elastic wavefield. We choose to simulate the elastic wave equation via SEM since irregular model geometries can be accommodated and slip boundary conditions at an interface, such as a fault or fracture, are implemented naturally. The method we employ for including a slip interface retains the desirable qualities of SEM in that it is explicit in time and, therefore, does not require the inversion of a large matrix. We performa complete numerical study by forward modelling seismic shot gathers over a faulted earth model using SEM followed by seismic processing of the simulated data. With this procedure, we construct post-stack time-migrated images of the kind that are routinely interpreted in the seismic exploration industry. We dip filter the seismic images to highlight the fault-plane reflections prior to making amplitude maps along the fault plane. With these amplitude maps, we compare the reflectivity from the different fault models to diagnose which physical mechanism contributes most to observed fault reflectivity. To lend physical meaning to the properties of a locally weak fault zone characterized as a slip interface, we propose an equivalent-layer model under the assumption of weak scattering. This allows us to use the empirical relationships between density, velocity and effective stress from the South Eugene Island field to relate a slip interface to an amount of excess pore-pressure in a fault zone. ?? 2007 The Authors Journal compilation ?? 2007 RAS.

[Characteristics of Raman spectra of minerals in the veins of Wenchuan earthquake fault zone].

PubMed

Xie, Chao; Zhou, Ben-gang; Liu, Lei; Zhou, Xiao-cheng; Yi, Li; Chen, Zhi; Cui, Yue-ju; Li, Jing; Chen, Zheng-wei; Du, Jian-guo

2015-01-01

Quartz in the veins at the Shenxigou section of Wenchuan earthquake fault zone was investigated by micro-Raman spectroscopic measurement, and the distribution of compressive stress in the fault zone was estimated by the frequency shifts of the 464 cm-1 vibrational mode of quartz grains in the veins. It was showed that the 464 cm-1 peak arising from the quartz grains in the veins near the fault plane shifts by 3. 29 cm-1 , and the corresponding compressive stress is 368. 63 MPa, which is significantly lower than the stress accumulation on both sides due to multi-stage events. Stress accumulation increased with moving away from the fault plane in the footwall with the offset of the 464 cm-1 peak arising from the quartz grains in the veins increasing, which can reach 494. 77 MPa at a distance of 21 m with a high offset of 4. 40 cm-1 of the 464 cm-1 peak. The compressive stress gets the maximum value of 519.87 MPa at a distance of 10 m from the fault plane in the hanging wall with the offset of the 464 cm-1 peak arising from the quartz grains in the veins being 4. 62 cm-1, followed by a sudden drop in stress accumulation, and it drops to 359. 59 MPa at a distance of 17 m. Because of moving away from the foult plane at the edge of the foult zone, the stress drops to 359. 59 MPa with a small value of 464 cm-1 peak offset 3. 21 cm-1 at a distance of 27 m from the fault plane in the hanging wall due to the little effect by the fault activity. Therefore, the stress of Wenchuan earthquake fault zone is partially released, but the rest of the stress distribution is uneven, and there is also a high stress accumulation in somewhere in the fault zone, which reflects that the mechanical properties of the rocks in the fault zone have a characteristic of unevenness in space.

Statistical relations among earthquake magnitude, surface rupture length, and surface fault displacement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonilla, M.G.; Mark, R.K.; Lienkaemper, J.J.

1984-01-01

In order to refine correlations of surface-wave magnitude, fault rupture length at the ground surface, and fault displacement at the surface by including the uncertainties in these variables, the existing data were critically reviewed and a new data base was compiled. Earthquake magnitudes were redetermined as necessary to make them as consistent as possible with the Gutenberg methods and results, which necessarily make up much of the data base. Measurement errors were estimated for the three variables for 58 moderate to large shallow-focus earthquakes. Regression analyses were then made utilizing the estimated measurement errors. The regression analysis demonstrates that the relations among the variables magnitude, length, and displacement are stochastic in nature. The stochastic variance, introduced in part by incomplete surface expression of seismogenic faulting, variation in shear modulus, and regional factors, dominates the estimated measurement errors. Thus, it is appropriate to use ordinary least squares for the regression models, rather than regression models based upon an underlying deterministic relation with the variance resulting from measurement errors. Significant differences exist in correlations of certain combinations of length, displacement, and magnitude when events are qrouped by fault type or by region, including attenuation regions delineated by Evernden and others. Subdivision of the data results in too few data for some fault types and regions, and for these only regressions using all of the data as a group are reported. Estimates of the magnitude and the standard deviation of the magnitude of a prehistoric or future earthquake associated with a fault can be made by correlating M with the logarithms of rupture length, fault displacement, or the product of length and displacement. Fault rupture area could be reliably estimated for about 20 of the events in the data set. Regression of MS on rupture area did not result in a marked improvement over regressions that did not involve rupture area. Because no subduction-zone earthquakes are included in this study, the reported results do not apply to such zones.

Active backstop faults in the Mentawai region of Sumatra, Indonesia, revealed by teleseismic broadband waveform modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xin; Bradley, Kyle Edward; Wei, Shengji; Wu, Wenbo

2018-02-01

Two earthquake sequences that affected the Mentawai islands offshore of central Sumatra in 2005 (Mw 6.9) and 2009 (Mw 6.7) have been highlighted as evidence for active backthrusting of the Sumatran accretionary wedge. However, the geometry of the activated fault planes is not well resolved due to large uncertainties in the locations of the mainshocks and aftershocks. We refine the locations and focal mechanisms of medium size events (Mw > 4.5) of these two earthquake sequences through broadband waveform modeling. In addition to modeling the depth-phases for accurate centroid depths, we use teleseismic surface wave cross-correlation to precisely relocate the relative horizontal locations of the earthquakes. The refined catalog shows that the 2005 and 2009 "backthrust" sequences in Mentawai region actually occurred on steeply (∼60 degrees) landward-dipping faults (Masilo Fault Zone) that intersect the Sunda megathrust beneath the deepest part of the forearc basin, contradicting previous studies that inferred slip on a shallowly seaward-dipping backthrust. Static slip inversion on the newly-proposed fault fits the coseismic GPS offsets for the 2009 mainshock equally well as previous studies, but with a slip distribution more consistent with the mainshock centroid depth (∼20 km) constrained from teleseismic waveform inversion. Rupture of such steeply dipping reverse faults within the forearc crust is rare along the Sumatra-Java margin. We interpret these earthquakes as 'unsticking' of the Sumatran accretionary wedge along a backstop fault separating imbricated material from the stronger Sunda lithosphere. Alternatively, the reverse faults may have originated as pre-Miocene normal faults of the extended continental crust of the western Sunda margin. Our waveform modeling approach can be used to further refine global earthquake catalogs in order to clarify the geometries of active faults.

Slip maxima at fault junctions and rupturing of barriers during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shen, Z.-K.; Sun, Jielun; Zhang, P.; Wan, Y.; Wang, M.; Burgmann, R.; Zeng, Y.; Gan, Weijun; Liao, H.; Wang, Q.

2009-01-01

The disastrous 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China took the local population as well as scientists by surprise. Although the Longmen Shan fault zonewhich includes the fault segments along which this earthquake nucleatedwas well known, geologic and geodetic data indicate relatively low (<3 mm yr -1) deformation rates. Here we invert Global Positioning System and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar data to infer fault geometry and slip distribution associated with the earthquake. Our analysis shows that the geometry of the fault changes along its length: in the southwest, the fault plane dips moderately to the northwest but becomes nearly vertical in the northeast. Associated with this is a change in the motion along the fault from predominantly thrusting to strike-slip. Peak slip along the fault occurs at the intersections of fault segments located near the towns of Yingxiu, Beichuan and Nanba, where fatalities and damage were concentrated. We suggest that these locations represent barriers that failed in a single event, enabling the rupture to cascade through several fault segments and cause a major moment magnitude (Mw) 7.9 earthquake. Using coseismic slip distribution and geodetic and geological slip rates, we estimate that the failure of barriers and rupture along multiple segments takes place approximately once in 4,000 years. ?? 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

A three-dimensional study of fault zone architecture: Results from the SEMP fault system, Austria.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, E. K.; Dolan, J. F.; Sammis, C. G.; Hacker, B.; Cole, J.; Ratschbacher, L.

2008-12-01

One of the most exciting frontiers in earthquake science is the linkage between the internal structure and mechanical behavior of fault zones. Little is known about how fault-zone structure varies as a function of depth, yet such understanding is vital if we are to understand the mechanical instabilities that control the nucleation and propagation of seismic ruptures. This has led us to the Salzach-Ennstal-Mariazell-Puchberg [SEMP] fault system in Austria, a major left-lateral strike-slip fault that has accommodated ~ 60 km of displacement during Oligo-Miocene time. Differential exhumation of the SEMP has resulted in a fault zone that reveals a continuum of structural levels along strike. This provides us with a unique opportunity to directly observe how fault-zone properties change with depth, from near-surface levels, down through the seismogenic crust, across the brittle-ductile transition, and into the uppermost part of the lower crust in western Austria. Here we present results from four key outcrops and discuss the mechanical implications of these new data. Our brittle outcrop at Gstatterboden has been exhumed from at least 4 km depth. Here the SEMP juxtaposes limestone of the Wettersteinkalk on the south against Rauwacken dolomite to the north. Faulting has produced extremely asymmetric damage, extensively shattering and shearing the dolomite while leaving the limestone largely intact. Measurements of outcrop-scale faults and fractures in the dolomite, combined with analysis of grain-size-distributions, suggest that strain has progressively localized to a zone ~ 10 m wide. These findings are compared to those from two outcrops (Kitzlochklamm and Liechtensteinklamm) that bracket the brittle-ductile transition, exhumed from depths of = 10 km. Here, the SEMP juxtaposes Greywacke Zone rocks on the north against carbonate mylonites of the Klammkalk to the south. We calculate the strain gradient in the ductile Klammkalk rocks by analyzing the lattice preferred orientation (LPO) of calcite grains throughout the outcrop. Deformation in the Greywacke Zone, however, contains a significant component of solution mass transfer, and we therefore estimate the strain in these rocks by calculating the change in bulk volume. These analyses do not find significant levels of strain distributed within the Klammkalk or Greywacke Zone, again revealing a highly localized fault zone. Our investigation of the downward continuation of the SEMP into the Tauern Window indicates that the fault remains discrete at mid-crustal levels, with the majority of strain occurring in a 100-m-wide ductile shear zone (Cole et al., 2007). Combined with the recent work of Rosenberg et al. (2007), who have studied the deepest exposures of the SEMP in the western Tauern Window, these data allow us to present a three-dimensional picture of fault zone architecture and mechanics from the top of the seismogenic zone all the way into the ductile lower crust.

Kinematic Evolution of the North-Tehran Fault (NTF), Alborz Mountains, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landgraf, A.; Ballato, P.; Strecker, M. R.; Shahpasandzadeh, M.; Friedrich, A.; Tabatabaei, S. H.

2007-12-01

The ENE-to NW-striking NTF is an active frontal thrust that delimits the Alborz Mountain range to the south with an up to 2000 m topographic break with respect to the adjacent Tehran plain. Eocene rocks of the Alborz range are thrusted over Neogene and Quaternary sediments of the alluvial Tehran embayment. The fault consists of right- stepping segments and merges to the east with the active Mosha-Fasham strike-slip fault (MFF). The complex tectonic history, involving changes in the direction of SHmax, has resulted in a composite tectonic landscape with inherited topographic and fault-kinematic fingerprints along the NTF. We therefore used a combination of fault-kinematic measurements and geomorphic observations to unravel the temporal tectonic evolution of this fault. Presently, the NTF is virtually inactive, although the tectonically overprinted landforms reflect tectonic activity on longer time scales during the Quaternary. Being located adjacent north of the Tehran megacity, there is thus considerable interest to decipher its youngest tectonic evolution and to better understand the relation with other fault systems. Our fault kinematic study has revealed an early dextral kinematic history for the NTF. Dextral strike-slip and oblique reverse faulting took place during NW-oriented shortening. The overall fault-geometry of the NTF suggests that it has evolved in relation to dextral transpression along the MFF. This early kinematic regime was superseded by NE-oriented shortening, associated with sinistral-oblique thrusting along the fault segments. Fault linkage between the semi-independent ENE-striking NTF-segments and NW-striking thrusts (Emamzadeh Davud Fault [EDF], Purkan Vardij Thrust [PVT], NTF-prolongation) point towards an evolution into a nascent transpressional duplex. In this scenario the NTF segments constitute lateral ramps and the NW-striking faults act as frontal ramps. Topographic residuals, as an expression of high-uplift zones, indicate that the central segment of the NTF, incorporating the EDF was most effective in accommodating oblique convergence during this time. However, subtle knickpoints in the longitudinal river profiles crossing the PVT may indicate a relatively recent transfer of deformation onto this block. The youngest manifestations of deformation along the NTF, however, are left-lateral and normal faulting. This youngest phase of activity is documented by numerous striated and rotated conglomeratic clasts, meter-scale fault gouge zones with shear-sense indicators of oblique normal faulting, and multiple colluvial wedges with drag phenomena. Rupture traces and filled extensional cracks reaching the surface also document the seismogenic nature of these features. Since recent left-lateral transtension is also known from neighboring faults, e.g., the eastern MFF, our observations suggest that this youngest phase of tectonic activity of the NTF is a regional phenomenon, rather than the result of locally-determined geometries.

Oblique reactivation of lithosphere-scale lineaments controls rift physiography - the upper-crustal expression of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, offshore southern Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Thomas B.; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.; Bell, Rebecca E.; Duffy, Oliver B.

2018-04-01

Pre-existing structures within sub-crustal lithosphere may localise stresses during subsequent tectonic events, resulting in complex fault systems at upper-crustal levels. As these sub-crustal structures are difficult to resolve at great depths, the evolution of kinematically and perhaps geometrically linked upper-crustal fault populations can offer insights into their deformation history, including when and how they reactivate and accommodate stresses during later tectonic events. In this study, we use borehole-constrained 2-D and 3-D seismic reflection data to investigate the structural development of the Farsund Basin, offshore southern Norway. We use throw-length (T-x) analysis and fault displacement backstripping techniques to determine the geometric and kinematic evolution of N-S- and E-W-striking upper-crustal fault populations during the multiphase evolution of the Farsund Basin. N-S-striking faults were active during the Triassic, prior to a period of sinistral strike-slip activity along E-W-striking faults during the Early Jurassic, which represented a hitherto undocumented phase of activity in this area. These E-W-striking upper-crustal faults are later obliquely reactivated under a dextral stress regime during the Early Cretaceous, with new faults also propagating away from pre-existing ones, representing a switch to a predominantly dextral sense of motion. The E-W faults within the Farsund Basin are interpreted to extend through the crust to the Moho and link with the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, a lithosphere-scale lineament, identified within the sub-crustal lithosphere, that extends > 1000 km across central Europe. Based on this geometric linkage, we infer that the E-W-striking faults represent the upper-crustal component of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone and that the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone represents a long-lived lithosphere-scale lineament that is periodically reactivated throughout its protracted geological history. The upper-crustal component of the lineament is reactivated in a range of tectonic styles, including both sinistral and dextral strike-slip motions, with the geometry and kinematics of these faults often inconsistent with what may otherwise be inferred from regional tectonics alone. Understanding these different styles of reactivation not only allows us to better understand the influence of sub-crustal lithospheric structure on rifting but also offers insights into the prevailing stress field during regional tectonic events.

Simulations of Brady's-Type Fault Undergoing CO2 Push-Pull: Pressure-Transient and Sensitivity Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jung, Yoojin; Doughty, Christine

Input and output files used for fault characterization through numerical simulation using iTOUGH2. The synthetic data for the push period are generated by running a forward simulation (input parameters are provided in iTOUGH2 Brady GF6 Input Parameters.txt [InvExt6i.txt]). In general, the permeability of the fault gouge, damage zone, and matrix are assumed to be unknown. The input and output files are for the inversion scenario where only pressure transients are available at the monitoring well located 200 m above the injection well and only the fault gouge permeability is estimated. The input files are named InvExt6i, INPUT.tpl, FOFT.ins, CO2TAB, andmore » the output files are InvExt6i.out, pest.fof, and pest.sav (names below are display names). The table graphic in the data files below summarizes the inversion results, and indicates the fault gouge permeability can be estimated even if imperfect guesses are used for matrix and damage zone permeabilities, and permeability anisotropy is not taken into account.« less

Splay fault branching from the Hikurangi subduction shear zone: Implications for slow slip and fluid flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaza-Faverola, A.; Henrys, S.; Pecher, I.; Wallace, L.; Klaeschen, D.

2016-12-01

Prestack depth migration data across the Hikurangi margin, East Coast of the North Island, New Zealand, are used to derive subducting slab geometry, upper crustal structure, and seismic velocities resolved to ˜14 km depth. We investigate the potential relationship between the crustal architecture, fluid migration, and short-term geodetically determined slow slip events. The subduction interface is a shallow dipping thrust at <7 km depth near the trench and steps down to 14 km depth along an ˜18 km long ramp, beneath Porangahau Ridge. This apparent step in the décollement is associated with splay fault branching and coincides with a zone of maximum slip (90 mm) inferred on the subduction interface during slow slip events in June and July 2011. A low-velocity zone beneath the plate interface, updip of the plate interface ramp, is interpreted as fluid-rich overpressured sediments capped with a low permeability condensed layer of chalk and interbedded mudstones. Fluid-rich sediments have been imbricated by splay faults in a region that coincides with the step down in the décollement from the top of subducting sediments to the oceanic crust and contribute to spatial variation in frictional properties of the plate interface that may promote slow slip behavior in the region. Further, transient fluid migration along splay faults at Porangahau Ridge may signify stress changes during slow slip.

Slip rate of the Húsavík-Flatey Fault, North Iceland, derived from GPS and InSAR Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzger, S.; Jonsson, S.

2010-12-01

The Húsavík-Flatey fault is one of mainly two parallel fault zones within the Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ), North Iceland. The TFZ is a transform zone and a 120km-offset between two segments of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, accommodating the 18.2mm/year spreading motion between the North American and the Eurasian Plate at this latitude (NUVEL 1A). Geodetic research mostly concentrates on a relatively short 20km onshore portion of the Húsavík-Flatey fault, as the rest of the whole transform zone, including the Grímsey lineament to the Northeast, is located offshore. The fact that a coastal town with 2300 inhabitants has been built directly at the fault surface trace increases the importance of studying this area. No major earthquake has occurred in the vicinity of the town since two M6.3 earthquakes took place in 1872. Hence, there is a compelling need to estimate the fault slip rate, slip deficit and finally, the seismic risk to which this town is exposed to, as the interseismic part of the current earthquake cycle may be drawing to a close. We use geodetic data, both continuous GPS and satellite radar interferograms (InSAR) to determine the interseismic deformation field around the on-land portion of the Húsavík-Flatey fault. The continuous GPS stations have been recording data since 2006 or longer at 14 sites within the TFZ. In addition, we use time-series analysis of ERS radar interferograms from 1992 to 2000 to derive interseismic velocities across the fault. We simulate the resulting deformation field with an interseismic back-slip model consisting of planar dislocations in an elastic half space and constrain the associated model parameters using a non-linear optimization approach. It has earlier been estimated that only 40% of the total motion is concentrated on the Húsavík-Flatey fault, while the larger 60% is taken up by the Grímsey lineament. This estimate however, was based on only three continuous GPS stations. Including more GPS data, we find that the partial motion on the Húsavík-Flatey fault is even less, closer to 30% and that the locking depth is relatively shallow. The exact parameter values, however, depend significantly on the modeling assumptions. Still, the results show that if moment has been accumulating on the Húsavík-Flatey fault at the current rate since 1872, then the total accumulated moment corresponds to an earthquake of magnitude just below 7.

Shallow slip amplification and enhanced tsunami hazard unravelled by dynamic simulations of mega-thrust earthquakes

PubMed Central

Murphy, S.; Scala, A.; Herrero, A.; Lorito, S.; Festa, G.; Trasatti, E.; Tonini, R.; Romano, F.; Molinari, I.; Nielsen, S.

2016-01-01

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake produced an unexpected large amount of shallow slip greatly contributing to the ensuing tsunami. How frequent are such events? How can they be efficiently modelled for tsunami hazard? Stochastic slip models, which can be computed rapidly, are used to explore the natural slip variability; however, they generally do not deal specifically with shallow slip features. We study the systematic depth-dependence of slip along a thrust fault with a number of 2D dynamic simulations using stochastic shear stress distributions and a geometry based on the cross section of the Tohoku fault. We obtain a probability density for the slip distribution, which varies both with depth, earthquake size and whether the rupture breaks the surface. We propose a method to modify stochastic slip distributions according to this dynamically-derived probability distribution. This method may be efficiently applied to produce large numbers of heterogeneous slip distributions for probabilistic tsunami hazard analysis. Using numerous M9 earthquake scenarios, we demonstrate that incorporating the dynamically-derived probability distribution does enhance the conditional probability of exceedance of maximum estimated tsunami wave heights along the Japanese coast. This technique for integrating dynamic features in stochastic models can be extended to any subduction zone and faulting style. PMID:27725733

Structure and geometry of the Aksay restraining double bend along the Altyn Tagh Fault, northern Tibet, imaged using magnetotelluric method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Qibin; Yu, Guo; Liu-Zeng, Jing; Oskin, Michael E.; Shao, Guihang

2017-05-01

Large restraining bends along active strike-slip faults locally enhance the accumulation of clamping tectonic normal stresses that may limit the size of major earthquakes. In such settings, uncertain fault geometry at depth limits understanding of how effectively a bend arrests earthquake ruptures. Here we demonstrate fault imaging within a major restraining bend along the Altyn Tagh Fault of western China using the magnetotelluric (MT) method. The new MT data were collected along two profiles across the Aksay restraining double bend, which is bounded by two subparallel strands of the Altyn Tagh Fault: Northern (NATF) and Southern (SATF). Both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) inversion models show that the Aksay bend may be the center of a positive flower structure, imaged as a high-resistivity body extending to an 40 km depth and bounded by subvertical resistivity discontinuities corresponding to the NATF and SATF. In the western section of the Aksay bend, both the NATF and SATF show similar low-resistivity structure, whereas in the eastern part of the bend, the low-resistivity anomaly below the SATF is wider and more prominent than that below the NATF. This observation indicates that the SATF shear zone may be wider and host more fluid than the NATF, lending structural support to the contention that fault slip at depth is asymmetrically focused on the SATF, even though surface slip is focused on the NATF. A south dipping, low-resistivity interface branching upward from the SATF toward the NATF indicates a fault link between these strands at depth.

Active Fault Near-Source Zones Within and Bordering the State of California for the 1997 Uniform Building Code

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, M.D.; Toppozada, Tousson R.; Cao, T.; Cramer, C.H.; Reichle, M.S.; Bryant, W.A.

2000-01-01

The fault sources in the Project 97 probabilistic seismic hazard maps for the state of California were used to construct maps for defining near-source seismic coefficients, Na and Nv, incorporated in the 1997 Uniform Building Code (ICBO 1997). The near-source factors are based on the distance from a known active fault that is classified as either Type A or Type B. To determine the near-source factor, four pieces of geologic information are required: (1) recognizing a fault and determining whether or not the fault has been active during the Holocene, (2) identifying the location of the fault at or beneath the ground surface, (3) estimating the slip rate of the fault, and (4) estimating the maximum earthquake magnitude for each fault segment. This paper describes the information used to produce the fault classifications and distances.

The balance of frictional heat production, thermal pressurization, and slip resistance on exhumed mid-crustal faults (Adamello batholith, Southern Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffith, W. A.; di Toro, G.; Pollard, D. D.

2005-12-01

Exhumed faults cutting the Adamello batholith (Italian Alps) were active ca. 30 Ma at seismogenic depths of 9-11 km. The faults "exploited preexisting joints and can be classified into three groups containing: (A) only cataclasite (a fault rock with no evidence of melting), (B) cataclasite and pseudotachylyte (solidified friction-induced melts produced during earthquakes), and (C) only pseudotachylyte. The majority of pseudotachylyte-bearing faults in this outcrop overprint pre-existing cataclasites (Type B), suggesting a transition between slip styles; however, some faults exhibiting pseudotachylyte and no cataclasite (Type C) display evidence of only one episode of slip. Faults of Type A never transitioned to frictional melting. We attempt to compare faults of type A, B, and C in terms of a simple one-dimensional thermo-mechanical model introduced by Lachenbruch (1980) describing the interaction between frictional heating, pore fluid pressure, and shear resistance during slip. The interaction of these three parameters influences how much elastic strain is relieved during an earthquake. For a conceptualized fault zone of finite thickness, the interplay between the shear resistance, heat production, and pore fluid pressure can be expressed as a non-linear partial differential equation relating these processes to the strain rate acting within a fault zone during a slip event. The behavior of fault zones in terms of these coupled processes during an earthquake depends on a number of parameters, such as thickness of the principal slipping zone, net coseismic slip, fault rock permeability and thermal diffusivity. Ideally, the governing equations should be testable on real fault zones if the requisite parameters can be measured or reasonably estimated. The model can be further simplified if the peak temperature reached during slip and the coseismic slip rate can be constrained. The contrasting nature of slip on the three Adamello fault types highlights (1) important differences between slip processes on cataclastic and melt-producing faults at depth and (2) some limitations of applicability of such models to real faults.

Resonant slow fault slip in subduction zones forced by climatic load stress.

PubMed

Lowry, Anthony R

2006-08-17

Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements at subduction plate boundaries often record fault movements similar to earthquakes but much slower, occurring over timescales of approximately 1 week to approximately 1 year. These 'slow slip events' have been observed in Japan, Cascadia, Mexico, Alaska and New Zealand. The phenomenon is poorly understood, but several observations hint at the processes underlying slow slip. Although slip itself is silent, seismic instruments often record coincident low-amplitude tremor in a narrow (1-5 cycles per second) frequency range. Also, modelling of GPS data and estimates of tremor location indicate that slip focuses near the transition from unstable ('stick-slip') to stable friction at the deep limit of the earthquake-producing seismogenic zone. Perhaps most intriguingly, slow slip is periodic at several locations, with recurrence varying from 6 to 18 months depending on which subduction zone (or even segment) is examined. Here I show that such periodic slow fault slip may be a resonant response to climate-driven stress perturbations. Fault slip resonance helps to explain why slip events are periodic, why periods differ from place to place, and why slip focuses near the base of the seismogenic zone. Resonant slip should initiate within the rupture zone of future great earthquakes, suggesting that slow slip may illuminate fault properties that control earthquake slip.

Developing framework to constrain the geometry of the seismic rupture plane on subduction interfaces a priori - A probabilistic approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayes, G.P.; Wald, D.J.

2009-01-01

A key step in many earthquake source inversions requires knowledge of the geometry of the fault surface on which the earthquake occurred. Our knowledge of this surface is often uncertain, however, and as a result fault geometry misinterpretation can map into significant error in the final temporal and spatial slip patterns of these inversions. Relying solely on an initial hypocentre and CMT mechanism can be problematic when establishing rupture characteristics needed for rapid tsunami and ground shaking estimates. Here, we attempt to improve the quality of fast finite-fault inversion results by combining several independent and complementary data sets to more accurately constrain the geometry of the seismic rupture plane of subducting slabs. Unlike previous analyses aimed at defining the general form of the plate interface, we require mechanisms and locations of the seismicity considered in our inversions to be consistent with their occurrence on the plate interface, by limiting events to those with well-constrained depths and with CMT solutions indicative of shallow-dip thrust faulting. We construct probability density functions about each location based on formal assumptions of their depth uncertainty and use these constraints to solve for the ‘most-likely’ fault plane. Examples are shown for the trench in the source region of the Mw 8.6 Southern Sumatra earthquake of March 2005, and for the Northern Chile Trench in the source region of the November 2007 Antofagasta earthquake. We also show examples using only the historic catalogues in regions without recent great earthquakes, such as the Japan and Kamchatka Trenches. In most cases, this method produces a fault plane that is more consistent with all of the data available than is the plane implied by the initial hypocentre and CMT mechanism. Using the aggregated data sets, we have developed an algorithm to rapidly determine more accurate initial fault plane geometries for source inversions of future earthquakes.

Integrated geophysical investigations in a fault zone located on southwestern part of İzmir city, Western Anatolia, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drahor, Mahmut G.; Berge, Meriç A.

2017-01-01

Integrated geophysical investigations consisting of joint application of various geophysical techniques have become a major tool of active tectonic investigations. The choice of integrated techniques depends on geological features, tectonic and fault characteristics of the study area, required resolution and penetration depth of used techniques and also financial supports. Therefore, fault geometry and offsets, sediment thickness and properties, features of folded strata and tectonic characteristics of near-surface sections of the subsurface could be thoroughly determined using integrated geophysical approaches. Although Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Seismic Refraction Tomography (SRT) methods are commonly used in active tectonic investigations, other geophysical techniques will also contribute in obtaining of different properties in the complex geological environments of tectonically active sites. In this study, six different geophysical methods used to define faulting locations and characterizations around the study area. These are GPR, ERT, SRT, Very Low Frequency electromagnetic (VLF), magnetics and self-potential (SP). Overall integrated geophysical approaches used in this study gave us commonly important results about the near surface geological properties and faulting characteristics in the investigation area. After integrated interpretations of geophysical surveys, we determined an optimal trench location for paleoseismological studies. The main geological properties associated with faulting process obtained after trenching studies. In addition, geophysical results pointed out some indications concerning the active faulting mechanism in the area investigated. Consequently, the trenching studies indicate that the integrated approach of geophysical techniques applied on the fault problem reveals very useful and interpretative results in description of various properties of faulting zone in the investigation site.

The interpretation of crustal dynamics data in terms of plate motions and regional deformation near plate boundaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, Sean C.

1987-01-01

The nature and dynamics of time-dependent deformation along major seismic zones including the influence of irregularities in fault geometry on the earthquake cycle, and the processes contributing to the state of stress and rates of strain in plate interior regions were studied. The principle findings of the research are discussed.

Phanerozoic strike-slip faulting in the continental interior platform of the United States: Examples from the Laramide Orogen, midcontinent, and Ancestral Rocky Mountains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marshak, S.; Nelson, W.J.; McBride, J.H.

2003-01-01

The continental interior platform of the United States is that part of the North American craton where a thin veneer of Phanerozoic strata covers Precambrian crystalline basement. N- to NE-trending and W- to NW-trending fault zones, formed initially by Proterozoic/Cambrian rifting, break the crust of the platform into rectilinear blocks. These zones were reactivated during the Phanerozoic, most notably in the late Palaeozoic Ancestral Rockies event and the Mesozoic-Cenozoic Laramide orogeny - some remain active today. Dip-slip reactivation can be readily recognized in cross section by offset stratigraphic horizons and monoclinal fault-propagation folds. Strike-slip displacement is hard to document because of poor exposure. Through offset palaeochannels, horizontal slip lineations, and strain at fault bends locally demonstrate strike-slip offset, most reports of strike-slip movements for interior-platform faults are based on occurrence of map-view belts of en echelon faults and anticlines. Each belt overlies a basement-penetrating master fault, which typically splays upwards into a flower structure. In general, both strike-slip and dip-slip components of displacement occur in the same fault zone, so some belts of en echelon structures occur on the flanks of monoclinal folds. Thus, strike-slip displacement represents the lateral components of oblique fault reactivation: dip-slip and strike-slip components are the same order of magnitude (tens of metres to tens of kilometres). Effectively, faults with strike-slip components of displacement act as transfers accommodating jostling of rectilinear crustal blocks. In this context, the sense of slip on an individual strike-slip fault depends on block geometry, not necessarily on the trajectory of regional ??1. Strike-slip faulting in the North American interior differs markedly from that of southern and central Eurasia, possibly because of a contrast in lithosphere strength. Weak Eurasia strained significantly during the Alpine-Himalayan collision, forcing crustal blocks to undergo significant lateral escape. The strong North American craton strained relatively little during collisional-convergent orogeny, so crustal blocks underwent relatively small displacements.

The characteristics of the western extension of the Karakax fault in NW Tibet and its tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, C.; Liu, D.; Li, H.; Zheng, Y.; Pan, J.

2017-12-01

The Karakax strike-slip fault, located in northwest Tibet, is a mature deformation belt with a long-time evolutionary history, which is also active at present and plays an important role in the tectonic deformation of the northwestern Tibetan Plateau. Nowadays, most geologists consider that the Karakax fault is generally east-west striking along the Karakax river valley, and northwest striking until to the Tashkorgan in the Mazar area. However, an ENE-WSW fault was identified at the Mazar area, which sited at the bend of the Karakax fault, we named this fault as the Matar fault. Via the detailed geological survey, the similar geometry and kinematic characteristics were identified between the Karakax and Matar faults: (1) The similar fault zone scale(Karakax:90 300m; Matar:100 220m); (2) The similar preferred orientation (nearly EW) of the stretching lineations and foliations; (3) All the fault planes of the both faults have a high dip angle and is nearly EW striking; (4) Lots of ductile deformations, such as σ-type quartz rotational mortar, S-C fabric, symmetric drag fold and so on, indicated that the Matar fault is a right-lateral strike-slip and thrust fault during the early ductile deformation stage; (5) the deluvium, sheared by Matar fault, indicated that the Matar fault has already transformed into a left-lateral strike-slip fault during the later brittle deformation stage. All the above showed that the Matar fault has a similar geometry and kinematic characteristics with the Karakax fault, and the former is the probable the western extension of the latter. Moreover, the form of the Karakax-Matar fault may had an impact to the geomorphology of the west Kunlun-Pamir area, such as the strike of the moutains and faults. considering the age of west Kunlun mountains uplifting and Karakax fault activating, we regard that the Matar fault (the westward extension of Karakax fault) may contributes much in forming the modern geomorphology features of the west Kunlun-Pamir area.

Why did the 1756 Tjellefonna rockslide occur? A back-analysis of the largest historic rockslide in Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandøy, Gro; Oppikofer, Thierry; Nilsen, Bjørn

2017-07-01

On 22 February 1756 the largest historically recorded rockslide in Norway took place at Tjelle in the Langfjord (Western Norway). The rockslide created three displacement waves of up to 50 m in height that caused 32 casualties and destroyed most houses and boats along the shores of the Langfjord. The trigger and contributing factors leading to the Tjellefonna rockslide are largely unknown and even seismic triggering has previously been suggested. This study provides a thorough back-analysis of the Tjellefonna rockslide using detailed geomorphological, engineering geological and tectonic field mapping in combination with topographic reconstructions, bathymetry analysis, volume estimations and numerical slope stability analysis. The back-scarp and eastern flank of the Tjellefonna scar form several tens of meter high rock walls, while the basal failure surface and other parts of the scar are covered by rock avalanche debris that extend from the back-scarp down to the bottom of the Langfjord. The rockslide occurred in granodioritic gneisses with variably developed metamorphic foliation that is folded and strike parallel to the fjord. Two prominent fault zones are present in close proximity to the Tjellefonna scar; one is steeply SE-dipping (Tjelle fault), while the other one is sub-horizontal to shallow SE-dipping (Ritlehamran fault). Both fault zones are linked to the Møre-Trøndelag Fault Complex, with one of its branches forming the Langfjord lineament and probably also the faults at Tjellefonna. Additionally, there are four persistent joint sets that together with the metamorphic foliation and the Tjelle fault define the back-scarp of the rockslide and give a fracturing of the rock mass corresponding to a Geological Strength Index (GSI) of 45-55. The GSI decreases significantly to 10-20 in the fault zones, which form distinct weakness zones in the rock slope. Volume estimates based on a reconstruction of the ante-rockslide topography range from 9.3 to 10.4 million m3, which is lower than previous volume estimates (12-15 million m3). Large portions of the failed rock mass remained on land and only approximately 3.9 million m3 entered the fjord. The observed discontinuities in the rock mass at Tjellefonna do not allow for a simple kinematic failure mechanism due to the lack of moderately SE-dipping structures. The basal failure surface was most likely not composed of a single structure, but of a complex interplay of fault zones, metamorphic foliation, joints and broken rock bridges. Numerical slope stability modelling highlights that weak fault zones are essential for the development of the failure surface over a long time. This progressive failure was likely aided by low- to medium-magnitude earthquakes that are frequent in the region. Numerical slope stability modelling and historical accounts suggest, however, that heavy, long-lasting rainfall was the triggering factor for the 1756 Tjellefonna rockslide rather than an earthquake.

Structural Analysis of Ogygis Rupes Lobate Scarp on Mars.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrero-Gil, A.; Ruiz, J.; Romeo, I.; Egea-González, I.

2016-12-01

Ogygis Rupes is a 200 kilometers long lobate scarp, striking N30ºE, with approximately 2km of maximum structural relief. It is located in Aonia Terra, in the southern hemisphere of Mars near the northeast margin of Argyre impact basin. Similar to other large lobate scarps on Mercury or Mars, it shows a roughly arcuate to linear form, and an asymmetric cross section with a steeply rising scarp face and a gently declining back scarp. This asymmetry suggests that Ogygis Rupes is the topographic expression of a ESE-vergent thrust fault. By using the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data and the Mars imagery available we have measure the horizontal shortening on impact craters cross-cut by this lobate scarp to obtain a minimum value for the horizontal offset of the underling fault. Two complementary methods were used to estimate fault geometry parameters as fault displacement, dip angle and depth of faulting: (i) analyzing topographic profiles together with the horizontal shortening estimations from cross-cut craters to create balanced cross sections on the basis of the thrust fault propagation folding [1]; (ii) using a forward mechanical dislocation method [2], which predicts fault geometry by comparing model outputs with real topography. The significant size of the fault underlying this lobate scarp suggests that its detachment is located at a main rheological change, for which we have obtained a preliminary depth value of around 30 kilometers by the methods listed above. Estimates of the depth of faulting in similar lobate scarps [3] have been associated to the depth of the brittle-ductile transition. [1] Suppe (1983), Am. J. Sci., 283, 648-721; Seeber and Sorlien (2000), Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 112, 1067-1079. [2] Toda et al. (1998) JGR, 103, 24543-24565. [3] i.e. Schultz and Watters (2001) Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 4659-4662; Ruiz et al. (2008) EPSL, 270, 1-12; Egea-Gonzalez et al. (2012) PSS, 60, 193-198; Mueller et al. (2014) EPSL, 408, 100-109.

Low-Q structure related to partially saturated pores within the reservoir beneath The Geysers area in the northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsubara, M.

2011-12-01

A large reservoir is located beneath The Geysers geothermal area, northern California. Seismic tomography revealed high-velocity (high-V) and low-Vp/Vs zones in the reservoir (Julian et al., 1996) and a decrease of Vp/Vs from 1991 to 1998 (Guasekera et al., 2003) owing to withdrawal of steam from the reservoir. I perform attenuation tomography in this region to investigate the state of vapor and liquid within the reservoir. The target region, 38.5-39.0°N and 122.5-123°W, covers The Geysers area. I use seismograms of 1,231 events whose focal mechanism are determined among 65,810 events recorded by the Northern California Earthquake Data Center from 2002 to 2008 in the target region. The band-pass filtered seismograms are analyzed for collecting the maximum amplitude data. There are 26 stations that have a three-component seismometer among 47 seismic stations. I use the P- and S-wave maximum amplitudes during the two seconds after the arrival of those waves in order to avoid coda effects. A total of 8,545 P- and 1,168 S-wave amplitude data for 949 earthquakes recorded at 47 stations are available for the analysis using the attenuation tomographic method derived from the velocity tomographic method (Matsubara et al., 2005, 2008) in which spatial velocity correlation and station corrections are introduced to the original code of Zhao et al. (1992). I use 3-D velocity structure obtained by Thurber et al. (2009). The initial Q value is set to 150, corresponding to the average Q of the northern California (Ford et al., 2010). At sea level, low-Q zones are found extending from the middle of the steam reservoir within the main greywacke to the south part of the reservoir. At a depth of 1 km below sea level, a low-Q zone is located solely in the southern part of the reservoir. However, at a depth of 2 km a low-Q zone is located beneath the northern part of the reservoir. At depths of 1 to 3 km a felsite batholith in the deeper portions of the reservoir, and it corresponds with a high-Q zone. A vertical cross section shows the low-Q zone is consistent with the reservoir as it extends through the main greywacke and into the uppermost part of the felsite. Most of the felsite has high-Q, however, the portion of the reservoir that extends into the felsite has low-Q. The Geysers geothermal area is bounded by Collayomi fault zone to the northeast and the Mercuryville fault zone to the southwest. The Geysers Peak fault runs from northwest to southeast about 3 km southwest of the Mercuryville fault. The Mercuryville fault dips to northeast and the Geysers Peak fault dips to southwest. High-Q zone is located between these faults and the width of this zone broadens as the depth increases corresponding to the fault geometry. The presence of liquid water introduces high-Vp/Vs, however, steam rich zones become low-Vp/Vs. Near the transition zone between the water and steam, laboratory experiments indicate that the amplitude becomes extremely small (Ito et al., 1979). A partially saturated zone has lower Q than a fully saturated zone, and a dry zone has high-Q. A low-Q zone with low-Vp/Vs corresponding to the reservoir indicates that the reservoir is partially saturated with steam and water near transition zone.

Fault structure, properties and activity of the Makran Accretionary Prism and implications for seismogenic potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, G. L.; McNeill, L. C.; Henstock, T.; Bull, J. M.

2011-12-01

The Makran subduction zone is the widest accretionary prism in the world (~400km), generated by convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates. It represents a global end-member, with a 7km thick incoming sediment section. Accretionary prisms have traditionally been thought to be aseismic due to the presence of unconsolidated sediment and elevated basal pore pressures. The seismogenic potential of the Makran subduction zone is unclear, despite a Mw 8.1 earthquake in 1945 that may have been located on the plate boundary beneath the prism. In this study, a series of imbricate landward dipping (seaward verging) thrust faults have been interpreted across the submarine prism (outer 70 km) using over 6000km of industry multichannel seismic data and bathymetric data. A strong BSR (bottom simulating reflector) is present throughout the prism (excluding the far east). An unreflective décollement is interpreted from the geometry of the prism thrusts. Two major sedimentary units are identified in the input section, the lower of which contains the extension of the unreflective décollement surface. Between 60%-100% of the input section is currently being accreted. The geometry of piggy-back basin stratigraphy shows that the majority of thrusts, including those over 50km from the trench, are recently active. Landward thrusts show evidence for reactivation after periods of quiescence. Negative polarity fault plane reflectors are common in the frontal thrusts and in the eastern prism, where they may be related to increased fault activity and fluid expulsion, and are rarer in older landward thrusts. Significant NE-SW trending basement structures (The Murray Ridge and Little Murray Ridge) on the Arabian plate intersect the deformation front and affect sediment input to the subduction zone. Prism taper and structure are apparently primarily controlled by sediment supply and the secondary influence of subducting basement ridges. The thick, likely distal, sediment section in the west produces a prism with a simple imbricate structure. As basement depth is reduced over the Little Murray Ridge, the accretionary prism structure (fault spacing and deformation front position) changes. In the east, proximity to the Murray Ridge and triple junction is expressed through a reduction in prism width and reduced fault activity. The resulting prism structure and morphology can ultimately be used to assess likely sediment properties and hence seismic potential at the plate boundary.

Earthquake Hazard and Risk in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Black Porto, N.; Nyst, M.

2014-12-01

Alaska is one of the most seismically active and tectonically diverse regions in the United States. To examine risk, we have updated the seismic hazard model in Alaska. The current RMS Alaska hazard model is based on the 2007 probabilistic seismic hazard maps for Alaska (Wesson et al., 2007; Boyd et al., 2007). The 2015 RMS model will update several key source parameters, including: extending the earthquake catalog, implementing a new set of crustal faults, updating the subduction zone geometry and reoccurrence rate. First, we extend the earthquake catalog to 2013; decluster the catalog, and compute new background rates. We then create a crustal fault model, based on the Alaska 2012 fault and fold database. This new model increased the number of crustal faults from ten in 2007, to 91 faults in the 2015 model. This includes the addition of: the western Denali, Cook Inlet folds near Anchorage, and thrust faults near Fairbanks. Previously the subduction zone was modeled at a uniform depth. In this update, we model the intraslab as a series of deep stepping events. We also use the best available data, such as Slab 1.0, to update the geometry of the subduction zone. The city of Anchorage represents 80% of the risk exposure in Alaska. In the 2007 model, the hazard in Alaska was dominated by the frequent rate of magnitude 7 to 8 events (Gutenberg-Richter distribution), and large magnitude 8+ events had a low reoccurrence rate (Characteristic) and therefore didn't contribute as highly to the overall risk. We will review these reoccurrence rates, and will present the results and impact to Anchorage. We will compare our hazard update to the 2007 USGS hazard map, and discuss the changes and drivers for these changes. Finally, we will examine the impact model changes have on Alaska earthquake risk. Consider risk metrics include average annual loss, an annualized expected loss level used by insurers to determine the costs of earthquake insurance (and premium levels), and the loss exceedance probability curve used by insurers to address their solvency and manage their portfolio risk. We analyze risk profile changes in areas with large population density and for structures of economic and financial importance: the Trans-Alaska pipeline, industrial facilities in Valdez, and typical residential wood buildings in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.

Earthquake Hazard and Risk in New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apel, E. V.; Nyst, M.; Fitzenz, D. D.; Molas, G.

2014-12-01

To quantify risk in New Zealand we examine the impact of updating the seismic hazard model. The previous RMS New Zealand hazard model is based on the 2002 probabilistic seismic hazard maps for New Zealand (Stirling et al., 2002). The 2015 RMS model, based on Stirling et al., (2012) will update several key source parameters. These updates include: implementation a new set of crustal faults including multi-segment ruptures, updating the subduction zone geometry and reccurrence rate and implementing new background rates and a robust methodology for modeling background earthquake sources. The number of crustal faults has increased by over 200 from the 2002 model, to the 2012 model which now includes over 500 individual fault sources. This includes the additions of many offshore faults in northern, east-central, and southwest regions. We also use the recent data to update the source geometry of the Hikurangi subduction zone (Wallace, 2009; Williams et al., 2013). We compare hazard changes in our updated model with those from the previous version. Changes between the two maps are discussed as well as the drivers for these changes. We examine the impact the hazard model changes have on New Zealand earthquake risk. Considered risk metrics include average annual loss, an annualized expected loss level used by insurers to determine the costs of earthquake insurance (and premium levels), and the loss exceedance probability curve used by insurers to address their solvency and manage their portfolio risk. We analyze risk profile changes in areas with large population density and for structures of economic and financial importance. New Zealand is interesting in that the city with the majority of the risk exposure in the country (Auckland) lies in the region of lowest hazard, where we don't have a lot of information about the location of faults and distributed seismicity is modeled by averaged Mw-frequency relationships on area sources. Thus small changes to the background rates can have a large impact on the risk profile for the area. Wellington, another area of high exposure is particularly sensitive to how the Hikurangi subduction zone and the Wellington fault are modeled. Minor changes on these sources have substantial impacts for the risk profile of the city and the country at large.

Slip Model of the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha (Nepal) Earthquake from Inversions of ALOS-2 and GPS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, K.; Fialko, Y. A.

2015-12-01

We use surface deformation measurements including Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data acquired by the ALOS-2 mission of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Global Positioning System (GPS) data to invert for the fault geometry and coseismic slip distribution of the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal. Assuming that the ruptured fault connects to the surface trace of the of Main Frontal Thrust fault (MFT) between 84.34E and 86.19E, the best-fitting model suggests a dip angle of 7 degrees. The moment calculated from the slip model is 6.17*1020 Nm, corresponding to the moment magnitude of 7.79. The rupture of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake was dominated by thrust motion that was primarily concentrated in a 150-km long zone 50 to 100 km northward from the surface trace of the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT), with maximum slip of ~6 m at a depth of ~ 8 km. Data thus indicate that the 2015 Gorkha earthquake ruptured a deep part of the seismogenic zone, in contrast to the 1934 Bihar-Nepal earthquake, which had ruptured a shallow part of the adjacent fault segment to the East.

Repeating Earthquake and Nonvolcanic Tremor Observations of Aseismic Deep Fault Transients in Central California.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadeau, R. M.; Traer, M.; Guilhem, A.

2005-12-01

Seismic indicators of fault zone deformation can complement geodetic measurements by providing information on aseismic transient deformation: 1) from deep within the fault zone, 2) on a regional scale, 3) with intermediate temporal resolution (weeks to months) and 4) that spans over 2 decades (1984 to early 2005), including pre- GPS and INSAR coverage. Along the San Andreas Fault (SAF) in central California, two types of seismic indicators are proving to be particularly useful for providing information on deep fault zone deformation. The first, characteristically repeating microearthquakes, provide long-term coverage (decades) on the evolution of aseismic fault slip rates at seismogenic depths along a large (~175 km) stretch of the SAF between the rupture zones of the ~M8 1906 San Francisco and 1857 Fort Tejon earthquakes. In Cascadia and Japan the second type of seismic indicator, nonvolcanic tremors, have shown a remarkable correlation between their activity rates and GPS and tiltmeter measurements of transient deformation in the deep (sub-seismogenic) fault zone. This correlation suggests that tremor rate changes and deep transient deformation are intimately related and that deformation associated with the tremor activity may be stressing the seismogenic zone in both areas. Along the SAF, nonvolcanic tremors have only recently been discovered (i.e., in the Parkfield-Cholame area), and knowledge of their full spatial extent is still relatively limited. Nonetheless the observed temporal correlation between earthquake and tremor activity in this area is consistent with a model in which sub-seismogenic deformation and seismogenic zone stress changes are closely related. We present observations of deep aseismic transient deformation associated with the 28 September 2004, M6 Parkfield earthquake from both repeating earthquake and nonvolcanic tremor data. Also presented are updated deep fault slip rate estimates from prepeating quakes in the San Juan Bautista area with an assessment of their significance to previously reported quasi-periodic slip rate pulses and small to moderate magnitude (> M3.5) earthquake occurrence in the area.

Fault pattern at the northern end of the Death Valley - Furnace Creek fault zone, California and Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liggett, M. A. (Principal Investigator); Childs, J. F.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The pattern of faulting associated with the termination of the Death Valley-Furnace Creek Fault Zone in northern Fish Lake Valley, Nevada was studied in ERTS-1 MSS color composite imagery and color IR U-2 photography. Imagery analysis was supported by field reconnaissance and low altitude aerial photography. The northwest-trending right-lateral Death Valley-Furnace Creek Fault Zone changes northward to a complex pattern of discontinuous dip slip and strike slip faults. This fault pattern terminates to the north against an east-northeast trending zone herein called the Montgomery Fault Zone. No evidence for continuation of the Death Valley-Furnace Creek Fault Zone is recognized north of the Montgomery Fault Zone. Penecontemporaneous displacement in the Death Valley-Furnace Creek Fault Zone, the complex transitional zone, and the Montgomery Fault Zone suggests that the systems are genetically related. Mercury mineralization appears to have been localized along faults recognizable in ERTS-1 imagery within the transitional zone and the Montgomery Fault Zone.

Microstructural record of pressure solution and crystal plastic deformation in carbonate fault rocks from a shallow crustal strike-slip fault, Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Helene; Rogowitz, Anna; Grasemann, Benhard; Decker, Kurt

2017-04-01

This study presents microstructural investigations of natural carbonate fault rocks that formed by a suite of different deformation processes, involving hydro-fracturing, dissolution-precipitation creep and cataclasis. Some fault rocks show also clear indications of crystal plastic deformation, which is quite unexpected, as the fault rocks were formed in an upper crustal setting, raising the question of possible strongly localised, low temperature ductile deformation in carbonate rocks. The investigated carbonate fault rocks are from an exhumed, sinistral strike-slip fault at the eastern segment of the Salzachtal-Ennstal-Mariazell-Puchberg (SEMP) fault system in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria). The SEMP fault system formed during eastward lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps in the Oligocene to Lower Miocene. Based on vitrinite reflectance data form intramontane Teritary basins within the Northern Calcareous Alps, a maximum burial depth of 4 km for the investigated fault segment is estimated. The investigated fault accommodated sinistral slip of several hundreds of meters. Microstructural analysis of fault rocks includes scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction mapping. The data show that fault rocks underwent various stages of evolution including early intense veining (hydro-fracturing) and stylolite formation reworked by localised shear zones. Cross cutting relationship reveals that veins never cross cut clay seams accumulated along stylolites. We conclude that pressure solution processes occured after hydro-fracturing. Clay enriched zones localized further deformation, producing a network of small-scale clay-rich shear zones of up to 1 mm thickness anastomosing around carbonate microlithons, varying from several mm down to some µm in size. Clay seams consist of kaolinit, chlorite and illite matrix and form (sub) parallel zones in which calcite was dissolved. Beside pressure solution, calcite microlithons show also ductile deformation microstructures, including deformation twinning, undulose extinction, subgrain rotation recrystallization and even grain boundary migration. Especially coarse grained calcites from veins localized ductile deformation and record dislocation glide. The investigated fault rocks are excellent examples of frictional, pressure solution and crystal plastic deformation processes. We speculated that crystal plastic deformation typical for higher metamorphic shear zones in marbles, can be either produced under much lower temperature conditions or the temperature necessary for crystal plastic deformation was generated by frictional slip or strain heating within the fault zone.

Mapping 3D fault geometry in earthquakes using high-resolution topography: Examples from the 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah (Mexico) and 2013 Balochistan (Pakistan) earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yu; Walker, Richard T.; Elliott, John R.; Parsons, Barry

2016-04-01

Fault dips are usually measured from outcrops in the field or inferred through geodetic or seismological modeling. Here we apply the classic structural geology approach of calculating dip from a fault's 3-D surface trace using recent, high-resolution topography. A test study applied to the 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake shows very good agreement between our results and those previously determined from field measurements. To obtain a reliable estimate, a fault segment ≥120 m long with a topographic variation ≥15 m is suggested. We then applied this method to the 2013 Balochistan earthquake, getting dips similar to previous estimates. Our dip estimates show a switch from north to south dipping at the southern end of the main trace, which appears to be a response to local extension within a stepover. We suggest that this previously unidentified geometrical complexity may act as the endpoint of earthquake ruptures for the southern end of the Hoshab fault.

Optimum Sea Surface Displacement and Fault Slip Distribution of the 2017 Tehuantepec Earthquake (Mw 8.2) in Mexico Estimated From Tsunami Waveforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusman, Aditya Riadi; Mulia, Iyan E.; Satake, Kenji

2018-01-01

The 2017 Tehuantepec earthquake (Mw 8.2) was the first great normal fault event ever instrumentally recorded to occur in the Middle America Trench. The earthquake generated a tsunami with an amplitude of 1.8 m (height = 3.5 m) in Puerto Chiapas, Mexico. Tsunami waveforms recorded at coastal tide gauges and offshore buoy stations were used to estimate the optimum sea surface displacement without assuming any fault. Our optimum sea surface displacement model indicated that the maximum uplift of 0.5 m is located near the trench and the maximum subsidence of 0.8 m on the coastal side near the epicenter. We then estimated the fault slip distribution that can best explain the optimum sea surface displacement assuming 10 different fault geometries. The best model suggests that a compact region of large slip (3-6 m) extends from a depth of 30 km to 90 km, centered at a depth of 60 km.

Chapter D. The Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989 - Aftershocks and Postseismic Effects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reasenberg, Paul A.

1997-01-01

While the damaging effects of the earthquake represent a significant social setback and economic loss, the geophysical effects have produced a wealth of data that have provided important insights into the structure and mechanics of the San Andreas Fault system. Generally, the period after a large earthquake is vitally important to monitor. During this part of the seismic cycle, the primary fault and the surrounding faults, rock bodies, and crustal fluids rapidly readjust in response to the earthquake's sudden movement. Geophysical measurements made at this time can provide unique information about fundamental properties of the fault zone, including its state of stress and the geometry and frictional/rheological properties of the faults within it. Because postseismic readjustments are rapid compared with corresponding changes occurring in the preseismic period, the amount and rate of information that is available during the postseismic period is relatively high. From a geophysical viewpoint, the occurrence of the Loma Prieta earthquake in a section of the San Andreas fault zone that is surrounded by multiple and extensive geophysical monitoring networks has produced nothing less than a scientific bonanza. The reports assembled in this chapter collectively examine available geophysical observations made before and after the earthquake and model the earthquake's principal postseismic effects. The chapter covers four broad categories of postseismic effect: (1) aftershocks; (2) postseismic fault movements; (3) postseismic surface deformation; and (4) changes in electrical conductivity and crustal fluids.

Simulation of the mulltizones clastic reservoir: A case study of Upper Qishn Clastic Member, Masila Basin-Yemen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khamis, Mohamed; Marta, Ebrahim Bin; Al Natifi, Ali; Fattah, Khaled Abdel; Lashin, Aref

2017-06-01

The Upper Qishn Clastic Member is one of the main oil-bearing reservoirs that are located at Masila Basin-Yemen. It produces oil from many zones with different reservoir properties. The aim of this study is to simulate and model the Qishn sandstone reservoir to provide more understanding of its properties. The available, core plugs, petrophysical, PVT, pressure and production datasets, as well as the seismic structural and geologic information, are all integrated and used in the simulation process. Eclipse simulator was used as a powerful tool for reservoir modeling. A simplified approach based on a pseudo steady-state productivity index and a material balance relationship between the aquifer pressure and the cumulative influx, is applied. The petrophysical properties of the Qishn sandstone reservoir are mainly investigated based on the well logging and core plug analyses. Three reservoir zones of good hydrocarbon potentiality are indicated and named from above to below as S1A, S1C and S2. Among of these zones, the S1A zone attains the best petrophysical and reservoir quality properties. It has an average hydrocarbon saturation of more than 65%, high effective porosity up to 20% and good permeability record (66 mD). The reservoir structure is represented by faulted anticline at the middle of the study with a down going decrease in geometry from S1A zone to S2 zone. It is limited by NE-SW and E-W bounding faults, with a weak aquifer connection from the east. The analysis of pressure and PVT data has revealed that the reservoir fluid type is dead oil with very low gas liquid ratio (GLR). The simulation results indicate heterogeneous reservoir associated with weak aquifer, supported by high initial water saturation and high water cut. Initial oil in place is estimated to be around 628 MM BBL, however, the oil recovery during the period of production is very low (<10%) because of the high water cut due to the fractures associated with many faults. Hence, secondary and tertiary methods are needed to enhance the oil recovery. Water flooding is recommended as the first step of oil recovery enhancement by changing some of high water cut wells to injectors.

Geometry, slip distribution, and kinematics of surface rupture on the Sakarya fault segment during the 17 August 1999 İzmit, Turkey, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langridge, R.M.; Stenner, Heidi D.; Fumal, T.E.; Christofferson, S.A.; Rockwell, T.K.; Hartleb, R.D.; Bachhuber, J.; Barka, A.A.

2002-01-01

The Mw 7.4 17 August 1999 İzmit earthquake ruptured five major fault segments of the dextral North Anatolian Fault Zone. The 26-km-long, N86°W-trending Sakarya fault segment (SFS) extends from the Sapanca releasing step-over in the west to near the town of Akyazi in the east. The SFS emerges from Lake Sapanca as two distinct fault traces that rejoin to traverse the Adapazari Plain to Akyazi. Offsets were measured across 88 cultural and natural features that cross the fault, such as roads, cornfield rows, rows of trees, walls, rails, field margins, ditches, vehicle ruts, a dike, and ground cracks. The maximum displacement observed for the İzmit earthquake (∼5.1 m) was encountered on this segment. Dextral displacement for the SFS rises from less than 1 m at Lake Sapanca to greater than 5 m near Arifiye, only 3 km away. Average slip decreases uniformly to the east from Arifiye until the fault steps left from Sagir to Kazanci to the N75°W, 6-km-long Akyazi strand, where slip drops to less than 1 m. The Akyazi strand passes eastward into the Akyazi Bend, which consists of a high-angle bend (18°-29°) between the Sakarya and Karadere fault segments, a 6-km gap in surface rupture, and high aftershock energy release. Complex structural geometries exist between the İzmit, Düzce, and 1967 Mudurnu fault segments that have arrested surface ruptures on timescales ranging from 30 sec to 88 days to 32 yr. The largest of these step-overs may have acted as a rupture segmentation boundary in previous earthquake cycles.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nugraha, Andri Dian, E-mail: andridn104@gmail.com; Widiyantoro, Sri; Shiddiqi, Hasbi Ash

Indonesian archipelago region is located in active tectonic setting and high seismicity zone. During the last decade, Indonesian was experienced with destructive major earthquakes causing damage and victims. The information of precise earthquake location parameters are very important in partular for earthquake early warning to the society and for advance seismic studies. In this study, we attempted to improve hypocenter location compiled by BMKG for time periods of April, 2009 up to June, 2014 for about 22,000 earthquake events around Indonesian region. For the firts time, we applied teleseismic double-difference relocation algorithm (teletomoDD) to improve hypocenter region in Indonesia regionmore » combining regional and teleseismic stations. Hypocenter relocation was performed utilizing local, regional, and teleseismic P-wave arrival time data. Our relocation result show that travel-time RMS errors were greatly reduced compared to the BMKG catalog. Seismicity at shallower depth (less than 50 km) shows significantly improvement especially in depth, and refined shallow geological structures, e.g. trench and major strike slip faults. Clustered seismicity is also detected beneath volcanic region, and probably related volcano activities and also major faults nearby. In the Sunda arc region, seismicity at shallower depth centered at two major distributions parallel to the trench strike direction, i.e. around fore-arc and in mainland that related to major fault, e.g. the Sumatran fault, and volcanic fronts. Below Central Java region, relocated hypocenter result showed double seismic zone pattern. A seismic gap is detected around the Sunda-Banda transition zone where transition between oceanic subduction to continental crust collision of Australian plate occurs. In Eastern Indonesia region, shallow earthquakes are observed related to major strike slip faults, e.g. Sorong and Palu-Koro fault, volcanism, and shallow part of subduction and collision zones. We also compare our result in the Sunda Arc region with slab1.0 model and our relocated seismicity shows good agreement with the previous slab geometry. Horizontal position shift of relocated events are mostly perpendicular to the trench directions.« less

Active crustal deformation of the El Salvador Fault Zone by integrating geodetic, seismological and geological data: application in seismic hazard assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staller, A.; Benito, B.; Martínez-Díaz, J.; Hernández, D.; Hernández-Rey, R.

2013-05-01

El Salvador, Central America, is part of the Chortis block in the northwestern boundary of the Caribbean plate. This block is interacting with a diffuse triple junction point with the Cocos and North American plates. Among the structures that cut the Miocene to Pleistocene volcanic deposits stands out the El Salvador Fault Zone (ESFZ): It is oriented in N90-100E direction, and it is composed of several structural segments that deform Quaternary deposits with right-lateral and oblique slip motions. The ESFZ is seismically active and capable of producing earthquakes such as the February 13, 2001 with Mw 6.6 (Martínez-Díaz et al., 2004), that seriously affected the population, leaving many casualties. This structure plays an important role in the tectonics of the Chortis block, since its motion is directly related to the drift of the Caribbean plate to the east and not with the partitioning of the deformation of the Cocos subduction (here not coupled) (Álvarez-Gómez et al., 2008). Together with the volcanic arc of El Salvador, this zone constitutes a weakness area that allows the motion of forearc block toward the NW. The geometry and the degree of activity of the ESFZ are not studied enough. However their knowledge is essential to understand the seismic hazard associated to this important seismogenic structure. For this reason, since 2007 a GPS dense network was established along the ESFZ (ZFESNet) in order to obtain GPS velocity measurements which are later used to explain the nature of strain accumulation on major faults along the ESFZ. The current work aims at understanding active crustal deformation of the ESFZ through kinematic model. The results provide significant information to be included in a new estimation of seismic hazard taking into account the major structures in ESFZ.

Active crustal deformation of the El Salvador Fault Zone (ESFZ) using GPS data: Implications in seismic hazard assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staller, Alejandra; Benito, Belen; Jesús Martínez-Díaz, José; Hernández, Douglas; Hernández-Rey, Román; Alonso-Henar, Jorge

2014-05-01

El Salvador, Central America, is part of the Chortis block in the northwestern boundary of the Caribbean plate. This block is interacting with a diffuse triple junction point with the Cocos and North American plates. Among the structures that cut the Miocene to Pleistocene volcanic deposits stands out the El Salvador Fault Zone (ESFZ): It is oriented in N90º-100ºE direction, and it is composed of several structural segments that deform Quaternary deposits with right-lateral and oblique slip motions. The ESFZ is seismically active and capable of producing earthquakes such as the February 13, 2001 with Mw 6.6 (Martínez-Díaz et al., 2004), that seriously affected the population, leaving many casualties. This structure plays an important role in the tectonics of the Chortis block, since its motion is directly related to the drift of the Caribbean plate to the east and not with the partitioning of the deformation of the Cocos subduction (here not coupled) (Álvarez-Gómez et al., 2008). Together with the volcanic arc of El Salvador, this zone constitutes a weakness area that allows the motion of forearc block toward the NW. The geometry and the degree of activity of the ESFZ are not studied enough. However their knowledge is essential to understand the seismic hazard associated to this important seismogenic structure. For this reason, since 2007 a GPS dense network was established along the ESFZ (ZFESNet) in order to obtain GPS velocity measurements which are later used to explain the nature of strain accumulation on major faults along the ESFZ. The current work aims at understanding active crustal deformation of the ESFZ through kinematic model. The results provide significant information to be included in a new estimation of seismic hazard taking into account the major structures in ESFZ.

Long-period spectral features of the Sumatra-Andaman 2004 earthquake rupture process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clévédé, E.; Bukchin, B.; Favreau, P.; Mostinskiy, A.; Aoudia, A.; Panza, G. F.

2012-12-01

The goal of this study is to investigate the spatial variability of the seismic radiation spectral content of the Sumatra-Andaman 2004 earthquake. We determine the integral estimates of source geometry, duration and rupture propagation given by the stress glut moments of total degree 2 of different source models. These models are constructed from a single or a joint use of different observations including seismology, geodesy, altimetry and tide gauge data. The comparative analysis shows coherency among the different models and no strong contradictions are found between the integral estimates of geodetic and altimetric models, and those retrieved from very long period seismic records (up to 2000-3000 s). The comparison between these results and the integral estimates derived from observed surface wave spectra in period band from 500 to 650 s suggests that the northern part of the fault (to the north of 8°N near Nicobar Islands) did not radiate long period seismic waves, that is, period shorter than 650 s at least. This conclusion is consistent with the existing composite short and long rise time tsunami model: with short rise time of slip in the southern part of the fault and very long rise time of slip at the northern part. This complex space-time slip evolution can be reproduced by a simple dynamic model of the rupture assuming a crude phenomenological mechanical behaviour of the rupture interface at the fault scales combining an effective slip-controlled exponential weakening effect, related to possible friction and damage breakdown processes of the fault zone, and an effective linear viscous strengthening effect, related to possible interface lubrication processes. While the rupture front speed remains unperturbed with initial short slip duration, a slow creep wave propagates behind the rupture front in the case of viscous effects accounting for the long slip duration and the radiation characteristics in the northern segment.

Fault Zone Imaging from Correlations of Aftershock Waveforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillers, Gregor; Campillo, Michel

2018-03-01

We image an active fault zone environment using cross correlations of 154 15 s long 1992 Landers earthquake aftershock seismograms recorded along a line array. A group velocity and phase velocity dispersion analysis of the reconstructed Rayleigh waves and Love waves yields shear wave velocity images of the top 100 m along the 800 m long array that consists of 22 three component stations. Estimates of the position, width, and seismic velocity of a low-velocity zone are in good agreement with the findings of previous fault zone trapped waves studies. Our preferred solution indicates the zone is offset from the surface break to the east, 100-200 m wide, and characterized by a 30% velocity reduction. Imaging in the 2-6 Hz range resolves further a high-velocity body of similar width to the west of the fault break. Symmetry and shape of zero-lag correlation fields or focal spots indicate a frequency and position dependent wavefield composition. At frequencies greater than 4 Hz surface wave propagation dominates, whereas at lower frequencies the correlation field also exhibits signatures of body waves that likely interact with the high-velocity zone. The polarization and late arrival times of coherent wavefronts observed above the low-velocity zone indicate reflections associated with velocity contrasts in the fault zone environment. Our study highlights the utility of the high-frequency correlation wavefield obtained from records of local and regional seismicity. The approach does not depend on knowledge of earthquake source parameters, which suggests the method can return images quickly during aftershock campaigns to guide network updates for optimal coverage of interesting geological features.

Growth and linkage of the quaternary Ubrique Normal Fault Zone, Western Gibraltar Arc: role on the along-strike relief segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-Bonilla, Alejandro; Balanya, Juan Carlos; Exposito, Inmaculada; Diaz-Azpiroz, Manuel; Barcos, Leticia

2015-04-01

Strain partitioning modes within migrating orogenic arcs may result in arc-parallel stretching that produces along-strike structural and topographic discontinuities. In the Western Gibraltar Arc, arc-parallel stretching has operated from the Lower Miocene up to recent times. In this study, we have reviewed the Colmenar Fault, located at the SW end of the Subbetic ranges, previously interpreted as a Middle Miocene low-angle normal fault. Our results allow to identify younger normal fault segments, to analyse their kinematics, growth and segment linkage, and to discuss its role on the structural and relief drop at regional scale. The Colmenar Fault is folded by post-Serravallian NE-SW buckle folds. Both the SW-dipping fault surfaces and the SW-plunging fold axes contribute to the structural relief drop toward the SW. Nevertheless, at the NW tip of the Colmenar Fault, we have identified unfolded normal faults cutting quaternary soils. They are grouped into a N110˚E striking brittle deformation band 15km long and until 3km wide (hereafter Ubrique Normal Fault Zone; UNFZ). The UNFZ is divided into three sectors: (a) The western tip zone is formed by normal faults which usually dip to the SW and whose slip directions vary between N205˚E and N225˚E. These segments are linked to each other by left-lateral oblique faults interpreted as transfer faults. (b) The central part of the UNFZ is composed of a single N115˚E striking fault segment 2,4km long. Slip directions are around N190˚E and the estimated throw is 1,25km. The fault scarp is well-conserved reaching up to 400m in its central part and diminishing to 200m at both segment terminations. This fault segment is linked to the western tip by an overlap zone characterized by tilted blocks limited by high-angle NNE-SSW and WNW-ESE striking faults interpreted as "box faults" [1]. (c) The eastern tip zone is formed by fault segments with oblique slip which also contribute to the downthrown of the SW block. This kinematic pattern seems to be related to other strike-slip fault systems developed to the E of the UNFZ. The structural revision together with updated kinematic data suggest that the Colmenar Fault is cut and downthrown by a younger normal fault zone, the UNFZ, which would have contributed to accommodate arc-parallel stretching until the Quaternary. This stretching provokes along-strike relief segmentation, being the UNFZ the main fault zone causing the final drop of the Subbetic ranges towards the SW within the Western Gibraltar Arc. Our results show displacement variations in each fault segment of the UNFZ, diminishing to their tips. This suggests fault segment linkage finally evolved to build the nearly continuous current fault zone. The development of current large through-going faults linked inside the UNFZ is similar to those ones simulated in some numerical modelling of rift systems [2]. Acknowledgements: RNM-415 and CGL-2013-46368-P [1]Peacock, D.C.P., Knipe, R.J., Sanderson, D.J., 2000. Glossary of normal faults. Journal Structural Geology, 22, 291-305. [2]Cowie, P.A., Gupta, S., Dawers, N.H., 2000. Implications of fault array evolution for synrift depocentre development: insights from a numerical fault growth model. Basin Research, 12, 241-261.

Splay Fault Branching from the Hikurangi Subduction Shear Zone: Implications for Slow Slip and Fluid Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henrys, S. A.; Plaza-Faverola, A. A.; Pecher, I. A.; Klaeschen, D.; Wallace, L.

2016-12-01

Seismic reflection data along the East Coast of the New Zealand North Island are used to map the offshore character and geometry of the central Hikurangi subduction thrust and outer wedge in a region of short term ( 2-3 weeks duration) geodetically determined slow-slip events (SSEs). Pre-stack depth migration of line 05CM-38 was used to derive subducting slab geometry and upper crustal structure together with a Vp image of the crust that is resolved to 14 km depth. The subduction interface is a shallow dipping thrust at < 7 km deep near the trench and steps down to 14 km depth along an approximately 18 km long ramp, beneath Porangahau Ridge. This bend in the subducted plate is associated with splay fault branching and coincides with the zone of maximum slip (90 mm) inferred on the subduction interface during slow slip events in June and July 2011. We infer that the step down in the décollement transfers slip on the plate interface from the top of subducting sediments to the oceanic crust and drives underplating beneath the inner margin of central Hikurangi margin. Low-velocity subducting sediments (LVZ) beneath the plate interface, updip of the plate interface ramp, are interpreted as being capped with a low permeability condensed layer of chalk and interbedded mudstones. We interpret this LVZ as fluid-rich overpressured sediments that have been displaced and later imbricated by splay faults in a region that may mark the up-dip transition from seismic to aseismic behavior. Further, we hypothesize that fluids derived from the overpressured sediment are channeled along splay faults to the shallow sub-seafloor near Porangahau Ridge where seafloor seepage and an upwarping of the gas hydrate Bottom-Simulating Reflector have been documented.

Fault strength in Marmara region inferred from the geometry of the principle stress axes and fault orientations: A case study for the Prince's Islands fault segment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinar, Ali; Coskun, Zeynep; Mert, Aydin; Kalafat, Dogan

2015-04-01

The general consensus based on historical earthquake data point out that the last major moment release on the Prince's islands fault was in 1766 which in turn signals an increased seismic risk for Istanbul Metropolitan area considering the fact that most of the 20 mm/yr GPS derived slip rate for the region is accommodated mostly by that fault segment. The orientation of the Prince's islands fault segment overlaps with the NW-SE direction of the maximum principle stress axis derived from the focal mechanism solutions of the large and moderate sized earthquakes occurred in the Marmara region. As such, the NW-SE trending fault segment translates the motion between the two E-W trending branches of the North Anatolian fault zone; one extending from the Gulf of Izmit towards Çınarcık basin and the other extending between offshore Bakırköy and Silivri. The basic relation between the orientation of the maximum and minimum principal stress axes, the shear and normal stresses, and the orientation of a fault provides clue on the strength of a fault, i.e., its frictional coefficient. Here, the angle between the fault normal and maximum compressive stress axis is a key parameter where fault normal and fault parallel maximum compressive stress might be a necessary and sufficient condition for a creeping event. That relation also implies that when the trend of the sigma-1 axis is close to the strike of the fault the shear stress acting on the fault plane approaches zero. On the other hand, the ratio between the shear and normal stresses acting on a fault plane is proportional to the coefficient of frictional coefficient of the fault. Accordingly, the geometry between the Prince's islands fault segment and a maximum principal stress axis matches a weak fault model. In the frame of the presentation we analyze seismological data acquired in Marmara region and interpret the results in conjuction with the above mentioned weak fault model.

Statistical relations among earthquake magnitude, surface rupture length, and surface fault displacement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonilla, Manuel G.; Mark, Robert K.; Lienkaemper, James J.

1984-01-01

In order to refine correlations of surface-wave magnitude, fault rupture length at the ground surface, and fault displacement at the surface by including the uncertainties in these variables, the existing data were critically reviewed and a new data base was compiled. Earthquake magnitudes were redetermined as necessary to make them as consistent as possible with the Gutenberg methods and results, which make up much of the data base. Measurement errors were estimated for the three variables for 58 moderate to large shallow-focus earthquakes. Regression analyses were then made utilizing the estimated measurement errors.The regression analysis demonstrates that the relations among the variables magnitude, length, and displacement are stochastic in nature. The stochastic variance, introduced in part by incomplete surface expression of seismogenic faulting, variation in shear modulus, and regional factors, dominates the estimated measurement errors. Thus, it is appropriate to use ordinary least squares for the regression models, rather than regression models based upon an underlying deterministic relation in which the variance results primarily from measurement errors.Significant differences exist in correlations of certain combinations of length, displacement, and magnitude when events are grouped by fault type or by region, including attenuation regions delineated by Evernden and others.Estimates of the magnitude and the standard deviation of the magnitude of a prehistoric or future earthquake associated with a fault can be made by correlating Ms with the logarithms of rupture length, fault displacement, or the product of length and displacement.Fault rupture area could be reliably estimated for about 20 of the events in the data set. Regression of Ms on rupture area did not result in a marked improvement over regressions that did not involve rupture area. Because no subduction-zone earthquakes are included in this study, the reported results do not apply to such zones.

Reexaming Owens Valley: Partitioning of Discrete and Distributed Transtension, Structural Controls on Magmatism, and Seismic Potential within an Active Rift Zone, Eastern California.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, D. A.; Haproff, P. J.; Yin, A.

2016-12-01

Crustal-scale transtensional deformation is common in intracontinental extensional settings. However, along-strike variations in the geometry, kinematics, and linkages between rift-related faults, along with controls on local magmatic plumbing, remain inadequately examined. In this study, we conducted geologic mapping of active structures within central and northern Owens Valley of eastern California. C. Owens Valley features right-slip oblique deformation accommodated by three discrete north-south-trending faults: (1) the right-slip Owens Valley fault (OVF) and rift-bounding (2) Sierra Nevada Frontal fault (SNFF) and (3) the White-Inyo Mountains fault (WIMF). The OVF also serves as a lithospheric-scale, vertical conduit for asthenospheric-derived magma to migrate upwards and erupt at Big Pine Volcanic Field. Right-slip shear within C. Owens Valley is transferred to the SNFF of N. Owens Valley via the Poverty Hills restraining bend. In contrast to C. Owens Valley, the northern segment is dominated by distributed E-W to NE-SW-oriented extension, evidenced by normal fault scarps throughout Volcanic Tablelands and basin floor. Furthermore, the White Mountain fault which bounds N. Owens Valley to the east consists of a master west-dipping detachment fault that thinned the lithosphere, allowing for asthenospheric upwelling into the crust beneath the western rift shoulder. Subvertical, right-slip faults of the SNFF provide a conduit for magma to erupt on the surface throughout the Long Valley Caldera, Mono-Inyo Craters, and Mono Basin region. Our mapping demonstrates complex strain partitioning of discrete and distributed deformation within an alternating pure and simple shear, transtensional rift zone. Lastly, we present previously unknown relationships in Owens Valley between lithospheric-scale fault systems, seismic potential, and rift magmatism.

Piggyback tectonics: Long-term growth of Kilauea on the south flank of Mauna Loa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lipman, Peter W.; Sisson, Thomas W.; Coombs, Michelle L.; Calvert, Andrew T.; Kimura, Jun-Ichi

2006-01-01

Present-day Kilauea is the more dynamic edifice, but prior to inception of Kilauea and during its early growth, Mauna Loa is inferred to have undergone intense volcano spreading, involving the Kaoiki–Honuapo fault system (considered a geometric analog of the Hilina system on Kilauea). Cumulative deformation of Mauna Loa's south flank during growth of Kilauea since 200–300 ka is estimated to have involved > 10 km of seaward spreading, displacing the rift zones of Kīlauea while its deep plumbing system and summit magma reservoir remained nearly fixed in space. Kilauea's rift zones, rather than migrating southward with time solely due to dike emplacement preferentially on the mobile seaward side, alternatively are interpreted to have been transported passively southward, “piggyback” style, during shield-stage growth of Kilauea as a blister on the still-mobile south flank of Mauna Loa. Such an evolution of Kilauea accounts for the arcuate geometry of the present-day rift zones, proximity of the summit magma supply to the exposed flank of Mauna Loa, initial submarine growth of the ancestral edifice, and present-day location of Mauna Loa rocks at shallow depth beneath the south flank of Kilauea.

Heterogeneities of mechanical properties in potential geothermal reservoir rocks of the North German Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyer, D.; Philipp, S. L.

2012-04-01

Heterogeneous rock properties in terms of layering and complex infrastructure of fault zones are typical phenomena in sedimentary basins such as the North German Basin. To be able to model reservoir stimulation in layered stratifications and to better adapt the drilling strategy to the rock mechanical conditions it is important to have knowledge about the effects of heterogeneous rock properties on fracture propagation and fault zone infrastructure for typical sedimentary reservoir rocks in the North German Basin. Therefore we aim at quantifying these properties by performing structural geological field studies in outcrop analogues combined with laboratory analyses. The field studies in Rotliegend sandstones (Lower Permian), the sandstones of the Middle Bunter (Lower Triassic) and the sandstones of the Upper Keuper (Upper Triassic) focus on 1) host rock fracture systems and 2) fault zone infrastructure. We analyse quantitatively the dimension, geometry, persistence and connectivity of fracture systems separately for host rocks and fault damage zones. The results show that in rocks with distinctive layering (sandstones and shales) natural fractures are often restricted to individual layers, that is, they are stratabound. The probability of fracture arrest seems to depend on the stiffness contrast between the two layers and on the thickness of the softer layer. The field studies are complemented by systematic sampling to obtain mechanical property variations caused by the layering. For the samples we measure the parameters Young's modulus, compressive and tensile strengths, elastic strain energy, density and porosity. The results show that the mechanical properties vary considerably and many samples are clearly anisotropic. That is, samples taken perpendicular to layering commonly have higher strengths but lower stiffnesses than those taken parallel to layering. We combine the results of laboratory analyses and field measurements to specify the mechanical heterogeneities of the sedimentary reservoir rocks of the North German Basin and of the mechanical units of fault zones therein. To estimate the in situ rock properties at different depths it is further important to understand how rocks from outcrops differ from rocks at depth (for example due to alteration and removal of the overburden load). To answer these questions we analyse samples from drill cores from depths relevant for the use as geothermal reservoirs which are stratigraphically and lithologically equivalent to those taken in outcrop analogues. The results from drill-core sample analyses are then compared with the results from the outcrop samples. Another approach is to analyse how rock mechanical properties correlate with petrographic properties (e.g., mineral content, cementation, fabric, porosity) to use this knowledge to extrapolate the data to depth. Altogether these results will be very useful to make better assumptions on natural reservoir permeabilities and to better adapt the drilling and reservoir stimulation strategy to the rock mechanical conditions.

Comparative Laboratory and Numerical Simulations of Shearing Granular Fault Gouge: Micromechanical Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, J. K.; Marone, C. J.; Guo, Y.; Anthony, J. L.; Knuth, M. W.

2004-12-01

Laboratory studies of granular shear zones have provided significant insight into fault zone processes and the mechanics of earthquakes. The micromechanisms of granular deformation are more difficult to ascertain, but have been hypothesized based on known variations in boundary conditions, particle properties and geometries, and mechanical behavior. Numerical simulations using particle dynamics methods (PDM) can offer unique views into deforming granular shear zones, revealing the precise details of granular microstructures, particle interactions, and packings, which can be correlated with macroscopic mechanical behavior. Here, we describe a collaborative program of comparative laboratory and numerical experiments of granular shear using idealized materials, i.e., glass beads, glass rods or pasta, and angular sand. Both sets of experiments are carried out under similar initial and boundary conditions in a non-fracturing stress regime. Phenomenologically, the results of the two sets of experiments are very similar. Peak friction values vary as a function of particle dimensionality (1-D vs. 2-D vs. 3-D), particle angularity, particle size and size distributions, boundary roughness, and shear zone thickness. Fluctuations in shear strength during an experiment, i.e., stick-slip events, can be correlated with distinct changes in the nature, geometries, and durability of grain bridges that support the shear zone walls. Inclined grain bridges are observed to form, and to support increasing loads, during gradual increases in assemblage strength. Collapse of an individual grain bridge leads to distinct localization of strain, generating a rapidly propagating shear surface that cuts across multiple grain bridges, accounting for the sudden drop in strength. The distribution of particle sizes within an assemblage, along with boundary roughness and its periodicity, influence the rate of formation and dissipation of grain bridges, thereby controlling friction variations during shear.

Seismic investigation of the Kunlun Fault: Analysis of the INDEPTH IV 2-D active-source seismic dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seelig, William George

The Tibetan Plateau has experienced significant crustal thickening and deformation since the continental subduction and collision of the Asian and Indian plates in the Eocene. Deformation of the northern Tibetan Plateau is largely accommodated by strike-slip faulting. The Kunlun Fault is a 1000-km long strike-slip fault near the northern boundary of the Plateau that has experienced five magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquakes in the past 100 years and represents a major rheological boundary. Active-source, 2-D seismic reflection/refraction data, collected as part of project INDEPTH IV (International Deep Profiling of Tibet and the Himalaya, phase IV) in 2007, was used to examine the structure and the dip of the Kunlun fault. The INDEPTH IV data was acquired to better understand the tectonic evolution of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, such as the far-field deformation associated with the continent-continent collision and the potential subduction of the Asian continent beneath northern Tibet. Seismic reflection common depth point (CDP) stacks were examined to look for reflectivity patterns that may be associated with faulting. A possible reflection from the buried North Kunlun Thrust (NKT) is identified at 18-21 km underneath the East Kunlun Mountains, with an estimated apparent dip of 15°S and thrusting to the north. Minimally-processed shot gathers were also inspected for reflections off near-vertical structures such as faults and information on first-order velocity structure. Shot offset and nearest receiver number to reflection was catalogued to increase confidence of picks. Reflections off the North Kunlun (NKF) and South Kunlun Faults (SKF) were identified and analyzed for apparent dip and subsurface geometry. Fault reflection analysis found that the North Kunlun Fault had an apparent dip of approximately 68ºS to an estimated depth of 5 km, while the South Kunlun Fault dipped at approximately 78ºN to an estimated 3.5 km depth. Constraints on apparent dip and geometry of the NKF/SKF and NKT provide information valuable for seismic hazard analysis.

Earthquake slip weakening and asperities explained by thermal pressurization.

PubMed

Wibberley, Christopher A J; Shimamoto, Toshihiko

2005-08-04

An earthquake occurs when a fault weakens during the early portion of its slip at a faster rate than the release of tectonic stress driving the fault motion. This slip weakening occurs over a critical distance, D(c). Understanding the controls on D(c) in nature is severely limited, however, because the physical mechanism of weakening is unconstrained. Conventional friction experiments, typically conducted at slow slip rates and small displacements, have obtained D(c) values that are orders of magnitude lower than values estimated from modelling seismological data for natural earthquakes. Here we present data on fluid transport properties of slip zone rocks and on the slip zone width in the centre of the Median Tectonic Line fault zone, Japan. We show that the discrepancy between laboratory and seismological results can be resolved if thermal pressurization of the pore fluid is the slip-weakening mechanism. Our analysis indicates that a planar fault segment with an impermeable and narrow slip zone will become very unstable during slip and is likely to be the site of a seismic asperity.

Quaternary crustal deformation along a major branch of the San Andreas fault in central California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weber, G.E.; Lajoie, K.R.; Wehmiller, J.F.

1979-01-01

Deformed marine terraces and alluvial deposits record Quaternary crustal deformation along segments of a major, seismically active branch of the San Andreas fault which extends 190 km SSE roughly parallel to the California coastline from Bolinas Lagoon to the Point Sur area. Most of this complex fault zone lies offshore (mapped by others using acoustical techniques), but a 4-km segment (Seal Cove fault) near Half Moon Bay and a 26-km segment (San Gregorio fault) between San Gregorio and Point Ano Nuevo lie onshore. At Half Moon Bay, right-lateral slip and N-S horizontal compression are expressed by a broad, synclinal warp in the first (lowest: 125 ka?) and second marine terraces on the NE side of the Seal Cove fault. This structure plunges to the west at an oblique angle into the fault plane. Linear, joint0controlled stream courses draining the coastal uplands are deflected toward the topographic depression along the synclinal axis where they emerge from the hills to cross the lowest terrace. Streams crossing the downwarped part of this terrace adjacent to Half Moon Bay are depositing alluvial fans, whereas streams crossing the uplifted southern limb of the syncline southwest of the bay are deeply incised. Minimum crustal shortening across this syncline parallel to the fault is 0.7% over the past 125 ka, based on deformation of the shoreline angle of the first terrace. Between San Gregorio and Point Ano Nuevo the entire fault zone is 2.5-3.0 km wide and has three primary traces or zones of faulting consisting of numerous en-echelon and anastomozing secondary fault traces. Lateral discontinuities and variable deformation of well-preserved marine terrace sequences help define major structural blocks and document differential motions in this area and south to Santa Cruz. Vertical displacement occurs on all of the fault traces, but is small compared to horizontal displacement. Some blocks within the fault zone are intensely faulted and steeply tilted. One major block 0.8 km wide east of Point Ano Nuevo is downdropped as much as 20 m between two primary traces to form a graben presently filling with Holocene deposits. Where exposed in the sea cliff, these deposits are folded into a vertical attitude adjacent to the fault plane forming the south-west margin of the graben. Near Point Ano Nuevo sedimentary deposits and fault rubble beneath a secondary high-angle reverse fault record three and possibly six distinct offset events in the past 125 ka. The three primary fault traces offset in a right-lateral sense the shoreline angles of the two lowest terraces east of Point Ano Nuevo. The rates of displacement on the three traces are similar. The average rate of horizontal offset across the entire zone is between 0.63 and 1.30 cm/yr, based on an amino-acid age estimate of 125 ka for the first terrace, and a reasonable guess of 200-400 ka for the second terrace. Rates of this magnitude make up a significant part of the deficit between long-term relative plate motions (estimated by others to be about 6 cm/yr) and present displacement rates along other parts of the San Andreas fault system (about 3.2 cm/yr). Northwestward tilt and convergence of six marine terraces northeast of Ano Nuevo (southwest side of the fault zone) indicate continuous gentle warping associated with right-lateral displacement since early or middle Pleistocene time. Minimum local crustal shortening of this block parallel to the fault is 0.2% based on tilt of the highest terrace. Five major, evenly spaced terraces southeast of Ano Nuevo on the southwest flank of Mt. Ben Lomond (northeast side of the fault zone) rise to an elevation of 240 m, indicating relatively constant uplift (about 0.19 m/ka and southwestward tilt since Early or Middle Pleistocene time (Bradley and Griggs, 1976). ?? 1979.

Fault Imaging with High-Resolution Seismic Reflection for Earthquake Hazard and Geothermal Resource Assessment in Reno, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Frary, Roxanna

2012-05-05

The Truckee Meadows basin is situated adjacent to the Sierra Nevada microplate, on the western boundary of the Walker Lane. Being in the transition zone between a range-front normal fault on the west and northwest-striking right-lateral strike slip faults to the east, there is no absence of faulting in this basin. The Reno- Sparks metropolitan area is located in this basin, and with a signi cant population living here, it is important to know where these faults are. High-resolution seismic reflection surveys are used for the imaging of these faults along the Truckee River, across which only one fault wasmore » previously mapped, and in southern Reno near and along Manzanita Lane, where a swarm of short faults has been mapped. The reflection profiles constrain the geometries of these faults, and suggest additional faults not seen before. Used in conjunction with depth to bedrock calculations and gravity measurements, the seismic reflection surveys provide de nitive locations of faults, as well as their orientations. O sets on these faults indicate how active they are, and this in turn has implications for seismic hazard in the area. In addition to seismic hazard, the faults imaged here tell us something about the conduits for geothermal fluid resources in Reno.« less

A shifting rift—Geophysical insights into the evolution of Rio Grande rift margins and the Embudo transfer zone near Taos, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grauch, V.J.S.; Bauer, Paul W.; Drenth, Benjamin J.; Kelson, Keith I.

2017-01-01

We present a detailed example of how a subbasin develops adjacent to a transfer zone in the Rio Grande rift. The Embudo transfer zone in the Rio Grande rift is considered one of the classic examples and has been used as the inspiration for several theoretical models. Despite this attention, the history of its development into a major rift structure is poorly known along its northern extent near Taos, New Mexico. Geologic evidence for all but its young rift history is concealed under Quaternary cover. We focus on understanding the pre-Quaternary evidence that is in the subsurface by integrating diverse pieces of geologic and geophysical information. As a result, we present a substantively new understanding of the tectonic configuration and evolution of the northern extent of the Embudo fault and its adjacent subbasin.We integrate geophysical, borehole, and geologic information to interpret the subsurface configuration of the rift margins formed by the Embudo and Sangre de Cristo faults and the geometry of the subbasin within the Taos embayment. Key features interpreted include (1) an imperfect D-shaped subbasin that slopes to the east and southeast, with the deepest point ∼2 km below the valley floor located northwest of Taos at ∼36° 26′N latitude and 105° 37′W longitude; (2) a concealed Embudo fault system that extends as much as 7 km wider than is mapped at the surface, wherein fault strands disrupt or truncate flows of Pliocene Servilleta Basalt and step down into the subbasin with a minimum of 1.8 km of vertical displacement; and (3) a similar, wider than expected (5–7 km) zone of stepped, west-down normal faults associated with the Sangre de Cristo range front fault.From the geophysical interpretations and subsurface models, we infer relations between faulting and flows of Pliocene Servilleta Basalt and older, buried basaltic rocks that, combined with geologic mapping, suggest a revised rift history involving shifts in the locus of fault activity as the Taos subbasin developed. We speculate that faults related to north-striking grabens at the end of Laramide time formed the first west-down master faults. The Embudo fault may have initiated in early Miocene southwest of the Taos region. Normal-oblique slip on these early fault strands likely transitioned in space and time to dominantly left-lateral slip as the Embudo fault propagated to the northeast. During and shortly after eruption of Servilleta Basalt, proto-Embudo fault strands were active along and parallel to the modern, NE-aligned Rio Pueblo de Taos, ∼4–7 km basinward of the modern, mapped Embudo fault zone. Faults along the northeastern subbasin margin had northwest strikes for most of the period of subbasin formation and were located ∼5–7 km basinward of the modern Sangre de Cristo fault. The locus of fault activity shifted to more northerly striking faults within 2 km of the modern range front sometime after Servilleta volcanism had ceased. The northerly faults may have linked with the northeasterly proto-Embudo faults at this time, concurrent with the development of N-striking Los Cordovas normal faults within the interior of the subbasin. By middle Pleistocene(?) time, the Los Cordovas faults had become inactive, and the linked Embudo–Sangre de Cristo fault system migrated to the south, to the modern range front.

Plate rotations, fault slip rates, fault locking, and distributed deformation in northern Central America from 1999-2017 GPS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, A. P.; DeMets, C.; Briole, P.; Cosenza, B.; Flores, O.; Guzman-Speziale, M.; Hernandez, D.; Kostoglodov, V.; La Femina, P. C.; Lord, N. E.; Lasserre, C.; Lyon-Caen, H.; McCaffrey, R.; Molina, E.; Rodriguez, M.; Staller, A.; Rogers, R.

2017-12-01

We describe plate rotations, fault slip rates, and fault locking estimated from a new 100-station GPS velocity field at the western end of the Caribbean plate, where the Motagua-Polochic fault zone, Middle America trench, and Central America volcanic arc faults converge. In northern Central America, fifty-one upper-plate earthquakes caused approximately 40,000 fatalities since 1900. The proximity of main population centers to these destructive earthquakes and the resulting loss of human life provide strong motivation for studying the present-day tectonics of Central America. Plate rotations, fault slip rates, and deformation are quantified via a two-stage inversion of daily GPS position time series using TDEFNODE modeling software. In the first stage, transient deformation associated with three M>7 earthquakes in 2009 and 2012 is estimated and removed from the GPS position time series. In Stage 2, linear velocities determined from the corrected GPS time series are inverted to estimate deformation within the western Caribbean plate, slip rates along the Motagua-Polochic faults and faults in the Central America volcanic arc, and the gradient of extension in the Honduras-Guatemala wedge. Major outcomes of the second inversion include the following: (1) Confirmation that slip rates on the Motagua fault decrease from 17-18 mm/yr at its eastern end to 0-5 mm/yr at its western end, in accord with previous results. (2) A transition from moderate subduction zone locking offshore from southern Mexico and parts of southern Guatemala to weak or zero coupling offshore from El Salvador and parts of Nicaragua along the Middle America trench. (3) Evidence for significant east-west extension in southern Guatemala between the Motagua fault and volcanic arc. Our study also shows evidence for creep on the eastern Motagua fault that diminishes westward along the North America-Caribbean plate boundary.

Comprehensive seismic monitoring of the Cascadia megathrust with real-time GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melbourne, T. I.; Szeliga, W. M.; Santillan, V. M.; Scrivner, C. W.; Webb, F.

2013-12-01

We have developed a comprehensive real-time GPS-based seismic monitoring system for the Cascadia subduction zone based on 1- and 5-second point position estimates computed within the ITRF08 reference frame. A Kalman filter stream editor that uses a geometry-free combination of phase and range observables to speed convergence while also producing independent estimation of carrier phase biases and ionosphere delay pre-cleans raw satellite measurements. These are then analyzed with GIPSY-OASIS using satellite clock and orbit corrections streamed continuously from the International GNSS Service (IGS) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The resulting RMS position scatter is less than 3 cm, and typical latencies are under 2 seconds. Currently 31 coastal Washington, Oregon, and northern California stations from the combined PANGA and PBO networks are analyzed. We are now ramping up to include all of the remaining 400+ stations currently operating throughout the Cascadia subduction zone, all of which are high-rate and telemetered in real-time to CWU. These receivers span the M9 megathrust, M7 crustal faults beneath population centers, several active Cascades volcanoes, and a host of other hazard sources. To use the point position streams for seismic monitoring, we have developed an inter-process client communication package that captures, buffers and re-broadcasts real-time positions and covariances to a variety of seismic estimation routines running on distributed hardware. An aggregator ingests, re-streams and can rebroadcast up to 24 hours of point-positions and resultant seismic estimates derived from the point positions to application clients distributed across web. A suite of seismic monitoring applications has also been written, which includes position time series analysis, instantaneous displacement vectors, and peak ground displacement contouring and mapping. We have also implemented a continuous estimation of finite-fault slip along the Cascadia megathrust using a NIF-type approach. This currently operates on the terrestrial GPS data streams, but could readily be expanded to use real-time offshore geodetic measurements as well. The continuous slip distributions are used in turn to compute tsunami excitation and, when convolved with pre-computed, hydrodynamic Green functions calculated using the COMCOT tsunami modeling software, run-up estimates for the entire Cascadia coastal margin. Finally, a suite of data visualization tools has been written to allow interaction with the real-time position streams and seismic estimates based on them, including time series plotting, instantaneous offset vectors, peak ground deformation contouring, finite-fault inversions, and tsunami run-up. This suite is currently bundled within a single client written in JAVA, called ';GPS Cockpit,' which is available for download.

Structural model of the San Bernardino basin, California, from analysis of gravity, aeromagnetic, and seismicity data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, M.; Matti, J.; Jachens, R.

2004-01-01

The San Bernardino basin is an area of Quaternary extension between the San Jacinto and San Andreas Fault zones in southern California. New gravity data are combined with aeromagnetic data to produce two- and three-dimensional models of the basin floor. These models are used to identify specific faults that have normal displacements. In addition, aeromagnetic maps of the basin constrain strike-slip offset on many faults. Relocated seismicity, focal mechanisms, and a seismic reflection profile for the basin area support interpretations of the gravity and magnetic anomalies. The shape of the basin revealed by our interpretations is different from past interpretations, broadening its areal extent while confining the deepest parts to an area along the modern San Jacinto fault, west of the city of San Bernardino. Through these geophysical observations and related geologic information, we propose a model for the development of the basin. The San Jacinto fault-related strike-slip displacements started on fault strands in the basin having a stepping geometry thus forming a pull-apart graben, and finally cut through the graben in a simpler, bending geometry. In this model, the San Bernardino strand of the San Andreas Fault has little influence on the formation of the basin. The deep, central part of the basin resembles classic pull-apart structures and our model describes a high level of detail for this structure that can be compared to other pull-apart structures as well as analog and numerical models in order to better understand timing and kinematics of pull-apart basin formation. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

Structural model of the San Bernardino basin, California, from analysis of gravity, aeromagnetic, and seismicity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Megan; Matti, Jonathan; Jachens, Robert

2004-04-01

The San Bernardino basin is an area of Quaternary extension between the San Jacinto and San Andreas Fault zones in southern California. New gravity data are combined with aeromagnetic data to produce two- and three-dimensional models of the basin floor. These models are used to identify specific faults that have normal displacements. In addition, aeromagnetic maps of the basin constrain strike-slip offset on many faults. Relocated seismicity, focal mechanisms, and a seismic reflection profile for the basin area support interpretations of the gravity and magnetic anomalies. The shape of the basin revealed by our interpretations is different from past interpretations, broadening its areal extent while confining the deepest parts to an area along the modern San Jacinto fault, west of the city of San Bernardino. Through these geophysical observations and related geologic information, we propose a model for the development of the basin. The San Jacinto fault-related strike-slip displacements started on fault strands in the basin having a stepping geometry thus forming a pull-apart graben, and finally cut through the graben in a simpler, bending geometry. In this model, the San Bernardino strand of the San Andreas Fault has little influence on the formation of the basin. The deep, central part of the basin resembles classic pull-apart structures and our model describes a high level of detail for this structure that can be compared to other pull-apart structures as well as analog and numerical models in order to better understand timing and kinematics of pull-apart basin formation.

Deformation Measurement In The Hayward Fault Zone Using Partially Correlated Persistent Scatterers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lien, J.; Zebker, H. A.

2013-12-01

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is an effective tool for measuring temporal changes in the Earth's surface. By combining SAR phase data collected at varying times and orbit geometries, with InSAR we can produce high accuracy, wide coverage images of crustal deformation fields. Changes in the radar imaging geometry, scatterer positions, or scattering behavior between radar passes causes the measured radar return to differ, leading to a decorrelation phase term that obscures the deformation signal and prevents the use of large baseline data. Here we present a new physically-based method of modeling decorrelation from the subset of pixels with the highest intrinsic signal-to-noise ratio, the so-called persistent scatters (PS). This more complete formulation, which includes both phase and amplitude scintillations, better describes the scattering behavior of partially correlated PS pixels and leads to a more reliable selection algorithm. The new method identifies PS pixels using maximum likelihood signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR) estimation based on the joint interferometric stack phase-amplitude distribution. Our PS selection method is unique in that it considers both phase and amplitude; accounts for correlation between all possible pairs of interferometric observations; and models the effect of spatial and temporal baselines on the stack. We use the resulting maximum likelihood SCR estimate as a criterion for PS selection. We implement the partially correlated persistent scatterer technique to analyze a stack of C-band European Remote Sensing (ERS-1/2) interferometric radar data imaging the Hayward Fault Zone from 1995 to 2000. We show that our technique achieves a better trade-off between PS pixel selection accuracy and network density compared to other PS identification methods, particularly in areas of natural terrain. We then present deformation measurements obtained by the selected PS network. Our results demonstrate that the partially correlated persistent scatterer technique can attain accurate deformation measurements even in areas that suffer decorrelation due to natural terrain. The accuracy of phase unwrapping and subsequent deformation estimation on the spatially sparse PS network depends on both pixel selection accuracy and the density of the network. We find that many additional pixels can be added to the PS list if we are able to correctly identify and add those in which the scattering mechanism exhibits partial, rather than complete, correlation across all radar scenes.

Mapping apparent stress and energy radiation over fault zones of major earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGarr, A.; Fletcher, Joe B.

2002-01-01

Using published slip models for five major earthquakes, 1979 Imperial Valley, 1989 Loma Prieta, 1992 Landers, 1994 Northridge, and 1995 Kobe, we produce maps of apparent stress and radiated seismic energy over their fault surfaces. The slip models, obtained by inverting seismic and geodetic data, entail the division of the fault surfaces into many subfaults for which the time histories of seismic slip are determined. To estimate the seismic energy radiated by each subfault, we measure the near-fault seismic-energy flux from the time-dependent slip there and then multiply by a function of rupture velocity to obtain the corresponding energy that propagates into the far-field. This function, the ratio of far-field to near-fault energy, is typically less than 1/3, inasmuch as most of the near-fault energy remains near the fault and is associated with permanent earthquake deformation. Adding the energy contributions from all of the subfaults yields an estimate of the total seismic energy, which can be compared with independent energy estimates based on seismic-energy flux measured in the far-field, often at teleseismic distances. Estimates of seismic energy based on slip models are robust, in that different models, for a given earthquake, yield energy estimates that are in close agreement. Moreover, the slip-model estimates of energy are generally in good accord with independent estimates by others, based on regional or teleseismic data. Apparent stress is estimated for each subfault by dividing the corresponding seismic moment into the radiated energy. Distributions of apparent stress over an earthquake fault zone show considerable heterogeneity, with peak values that are typically about double the whole-earthquake values (based on the ratio of seismic energy to seismic moment). The range of apparent stresses estimated for subfaults of the events studied here is similar to the range of apparent stresses for earthquakes in continental settings, with peak values of about 8 MPa in each case. For earthquakes in compressional tectonic settings, peak apparent stresses at a given depth are substantially greater than corresponding peak values from events in extensional settings; this suggests that crustal strength, inferred from laboratory measurements, may be a limiting factor. Lower bounds on shear stresses inferred from the apparent stress distribution of the 1995 Kobe earthquake are consistent with tectonic-stress estimates reported by Spudich et al. (1998), based partly on slip-vector rake changes.

Fault geometry and cumulative offsets in the central Coast Ranges, California: Evidence for northward increasing slip along the San Gregorio-San Simeon-Hosgri fault

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Jachens, R.C.; Graymer, R.W.; Colgan, J.P.; Wentworth, C.M.; Stanley, R.G.

2012-01-01

Estimates of the dip, depth extent, and amount of cumulative displacement along the major faults in the central California Coast Ranges are controversial. We use detailed aeromagnetic data to estimate these parameters for the San Gregorio–San Simeon–Hosgri and other faults. The recently acquired aeromagnetic data provide an areally consistent data set that crosses the onshore-offshore transition without disruption, which is particularly important for the mostly offshore San Gregorio–San Simeon–Hosgri fault. Our modeling, constrained by exposed geology and in some cases, drill-hole and seismic-reflection data, indicates that the San Gregorio–San Simeon–Hosgri and Reliz-Rinconada faults dip steeply throughout the seismogenic crust. Deviations from steep dips may result from local fault interactions, transfer of slip between faults, or overprinting by transpression since the late Miocene. Given that such faults are consistent with predominantly strike-slip displacement, we correlate geophysical anomalies offset by these faults to estimate cumulative displacements. We find a northward increase in right-lateral displacement along the San Gregorio–San Simeon–Hosgri fault that is mimicked by Quaternary slip rates. Although overall slip rates have decreased over the lifetime of the fault, the pattern of slip has not changed. Northward increase in right-lateral displacement is balanced in part by slip added by faults, such as the Reliz-Rinconada, Oceanic–West Huasna, and (speculatively) Santa Ynez River faults to the east.

The northern Lesser Antilles oblique subduction zone: new insight about the upper plate deformation, 3D slab geometry and interplate coupling.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcaillou, B.; Laurencin, M.; Graindorge, D.; Klingelhoefer, F.

2017-12-01

In subduction zones, the 3D geometry of the plate interface is thought to be a key parameter for the control of margin tectonic deformation, interplate coupling and seismogenic behavior. In the northern Caribbean subduction, precisely between the Virgin Islands and northern Lesser Antilles, these subjects remain controversial or unresolved. During the ANTITHESIS cruises (2013-2016), we recorded wide-angle seismic, multichannel reflection seismic and bathymetric data along this zone in order to constrain the nature and the geometry of the subducting and upper plate. This experiment results in the following conclusions: 1) The Anegada Passage is a 450-km long structure accross the forearc related to the extension due to the collision with the Bahamas platform. 2) More recently, the tectonic partitioning due to the plate convergence obliquity re-activated the Anegada Passage in the left-lateral strike-slip system. The partitioning also generated the left-lateral strike-slip Bunce Fault, separating the accretionary prism from the forearc. 3) Offshore of the Virgin Islands margin, the subducting plate shows normal faults parallel to the ancient spreading center that correspond to the primary fabric of the oceanic crust. In contrast, offshore of Barbuda Island, the oceanic crust fabric is unresolved (fracture zone?, exhumed mantle? ). 4) In the direction of the plate convergence vector, the slab deepening angle decreases northward. It results in a shallower slab beneath the Virgin Islands Platform compared to the St Martin-Barbuda forearc. In the past, the collision of the Bahamas platform likely changed the geodynamic settings of the northeastern corner of the Caribbean subduction zone and we present a revised geodynamic history of the region. Currently, various features are likely to control the 3D geometry of the slab: the margin convexity, the convergence obliquity, the heterogeneity of the primary fabric of the oceanic crust and the Bahamas docking. We suggest that the slab deepening angle lower beneath the Virgin Islands segment than beneath the St Martin-Barbuda segment possibly generates a northward increasing interplate coupling. As a result, it possibly favors an increase in the seismic activity and the tectonic partitioning beneath the Virgin Islands margin contrary to the St Martin-Barbuda segment.

The 2017 Mw = 8.2 Tehuantepec earthquake: a slab bending or slab pull rupture?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duputel, Z.; Gombert, B.; Simons, M.; Fielding, E. J.; Rivera, L. A.; Bekaert, D. P.; Jiang, J.; Liang, C.; Moore, A. W.; Liu, Z.

2017-12-01

On September 8th 2017, a regionally destructive Mw 8.2 intra-slab earthquake struck Mexico in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. While large intermediate depth intra-slab earthquakes are a major hazard, we have only a limited knowledge of the strain budgets within subducting slabs. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain intraplate earthquakes in subduction zones. Bending stresses might cause the occurrence of seismic events located at depths where the slab dip changes abruptly. However, an alternative explanation is needed if the ruptures are found to propagate through the entire lithosphere. Depending on the coupling of the subduction interface, intraplate earthquakes occurring updip or downdip of the locked zone could also be caused by the negative buoyancy of the sinking slab (i.e., slab pull). The increasing availability of near-fault data provides a unique opportunity to better constrain the seismogenic behavior of large intra-slab earthquakes. Teleseismic analyses of the 2017 Tehuantepec earthquake lead to contrasting statements about the depth extent of the rupture: while most of long period centroid moment tensor inversions yield fairly large centroid depths (>40 km), some finite-fault models suggest much shallower slip concentrated at depths less than 30 km. In this study, we analyze GPS, InSAR, tsunami and seismological data to constrain the earthquake location, fault geometry and slip distribution. We use a Bayesian approach devoid of significant spatial smoothing to characterize the range of allowable rupture depths. In addition, to cope with potential artifacts in centroid depth estimates due to unmodeled lateral heterogeneities, we also analyze long-period seismological data using a full 3D Earth model. Preliminary results suggest a fairly deep rupture consistent with a slab-pull process breaking a significant proportion of the lithosphere and potentially reflecting at least local detachment of the slab.

Magma storage in a strike-slip caldera

PubMed Central

Saxby, J.; Gottsmann, J.; Cashman, K.; Gutiérrez, E.

2016-01-01

Silicic calderas form during explosive volcanic eruptions when magma withdrawal triggers collapse along bounding faults. The nature of specific interactions between magmatism and tectonism in caldera-forming systems is, however, unclear. Regional stress patterns may control the location and geometry of magma reservoirs, which in turn may control the spatial and temporal development of faults. Here we provide new insight into strike-slip volcano-tectonic relations by analysing Bouguer gravity data from Ilopango caldera, El Salvador, which has a long history of catastrophic explosive eruptions. The observed low gravity beneath the caldera is aligned along the principal horizontal stress orientations of the El Salvador Fault Zone. Data inversion shows that the causative low-density structure extends to ca. 6 km depth, which we interpret as a shallow plumbing system comprising a fractured hydrothermal reservoir overlying a magmatic reservoir with vol% exsolved vapour. Fault-controlled localization of magma constrains potential vent locations for future eruptions. PMID:27447932

Magma storage in a strike-slip caldera.

PubMed

Saxby, J; Gottsmann, J; Cashman, K; Gutiérrez, E

2016-07-22

Silicic calderas form during explosive volcanic eruptions when magma withdrawal triggers collapse along bounding faults. The nature of specific interactions between magmatism and tectonism in caldera-forming systems is, however, unclear. Regional stress patterns may control the location and geometry of magma reservoirs, which in turn may control the spatial and temporal development of faults. Here we provide new insight into strike-slip volcano-tectonic relations by analysing Bouguer gravity data from Ilopango caldera, El Salvador, which has a long history of catastrophic explosive eruptions. The observed low gravity beneath the caldera is aligned along the principal horizontal stress orientations of the El Salvador Fault Zone. Data inversion shows that the causative low-density structure extends to ca. 6 km depth, which we interpret as a shallow plumbing system comprising a fractured hydrothermal reservoir overlying a magmatic reservoir with vol% exsolved vapour. Fault-controlled localization of magma constrains potential vent locations for future eruptions.

Interseismic deformation and moment deficit along the Manila subduction zone and the Philippine Fault system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Y. J.; Yu, S. B.; Loveless, J. P.; Bacolcol, T.; Woessner, J.; Solidum, R., Jr.

2015-12-01

The Sunda plate converges obliquely with the Philippine Sea plate with a rate of ~100 mm/yr and results in the sinistral slip along the 1300 km-long Philippine fault. Using GPS data from 1998 to 2013 as well as a block modeling approach, we decompose the crustal motion into multiple rotating blocks and elastic deformation associated with fault slip at block boundaries. Our preferred model composed of 8 blocks, produces a mean residual velocity of 3.4 mm/yr at 93 GPS stations. Estimated long-term slip rates along the Manila subduction zone show a gradual southward decrease from 66 mm/yr at the northwest tip of Luzon to 60 mm/yr at the southern portion of the Manila Trench. We infer a low coupling fraction of 11% offshore northwest Luzon and a coupling fraction of 27% near the subduction of Scarborough Seamount. The accumulated strain along the Manila subduction zone at latitudes 15.5°~18.5°N could be balanced by earthquakes with composite magnitudes of Mw 8.7 and Mw 8.9 based on a recurrence interval of 500 years and 1000 years, respectively. Estimates of sinistral slip rates on the major splay faults of the Philippine fault system in central Luzon increase from east to west: sinistral slip rates are 2 mm/yr on the Dalton fault, 8 mm/yr on the Abra River fault, and 12 mm/yr on the Tubao fault. On the southern segment of the Philippine fault (Digdig fault), we infer left-lateral slip of ~20 mm/yr. The Vigan-Aggao fault in northwest Luzon exhibits significant reverse slip of up to 31 mm/yr, although deformation may be distributed across multiple offshore thrust faults. On the Northern Cordillera fault, we calculate left-lateral slip of ~7 mm/yr. Results of block modeling suggest that the majority of active faults in Luzon are fully locked to a depth of 15-20 km. Inferred moment magnitudes of inland large earthquakes in Luzon fall in the range of Mw 7.0-7.5 based on a recurrence interval of 100 years. Using the long-term plate convergence rate between the Sunda plate and Philippine Sea plate as well as seismic moment release rate, we calculate the moment budget for the entire Luzon plate boundary zone that could be balanced by earthquakes with a composite magnitude of ~Mw 9 based on recurrence intervals of 500-1000 years.

Strike-slip Tectonics in the Schouten Basin: Western Branch of the Bismarck Sea Seismic Lineation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llanes Estrada, P.; Hoffmann, G.; Silver, E.; Day, S.; Olaiz Campos, A.

2007-12-01

The Schouten Basin is located offshore the north-western coast of Papua New Guinea, approximately between longitudes 144° and 145°. The major tectonic feature in the area is the Bismarck Sea Seismic Lineation (BSSL), a sinistral strike-slip fault that bounds the north side of the basin and separates the North and South Bismarck Sea Plates. We collected bathymetry and backscatter data in the Schouten Basin and elsewhere in the Bismarck volcanic arc in 2004 aboard the research vessel Kilo Moana. In the area of the Schouten Islands, the BSSL changes its orientation from WNW east of Wei Island (144°21.5) to ENE west of Wei. The predominant structural geometry is a pattern of in-line structures, where several faults are parallel to the strike- slip zone. This geometry could be a result of strain partitioning to accommodate oblique shortening. The fault zone crosses less than 2 km off Wei's south coast and has probably affected the island itself. Our data reveals a major contrast offshore north and south of Wei, with a well developed insular slope and apron on the north side, eroded by a radial system of submarine canyons, and an extremely steep and uncommon insular slope on the south side, that also lacks the presence of an insular apron. We suggest that this south part of the island has been cut off and displaced left-laterally by the BSSL a distance of 45 km. In addition to the main structural direction, approximately E-W, the other predominant direction is given by a set of NE-SW faults. The latter are controlling the orientation of a set of submarine canyons off-shore from the Sepik and the Ramu rivers. These faults may also control local volcanism through the alignment of seamounts.

New Constraints on Late Pleistocene - Holocene Slip Rates and Seismic Behavior Along the Panamint Valley Fault Zone, Eastern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, W.; Kirby, E.; McDonald, E.; Walker, J.; Gosse, J.

2008-12-01

Space-time patterns of seismic strain release along active fault systems can provide insight into the geodynamics of deforming lithosphere. Along the eastern California shear zone, fault systems south of the Garlock fault appear to have experienced an ongoing pulse of seismic activity over the past ca. 1 kyr (Rockwell et al., 2000). Recently, this cluster of seismicity has been implicated as both cause and consequence of the oft-cited discrepancy between geodetic velocities and geologic slip rates in this region (Dolan et al., 2007; Oskin et al., 2008). Whether other faults within the shear zone exhibit similar behavior remains uncertain. Here we report the preliminary results of new investigations of slip rates and seismic history along the Panamint Valley fault zone (PVFZ). The PVFZ is characterized by dextral, oblique-normal displacement along a moderately to shallowly-dipping range front fault. Previous workers (Zhang et al., 1990) identified a relatively recent surface rupture confined to a ~25 km segment of the southern fault zone and associated with dextral displacements of ~3 m. Our mapping reveals that youthful scarps ranging from 2-4 m in height are distributed along the central portion of the fault zone for at least 50 km. North of Ballarat, a releasing jog in the fault zone forms a 2-3 km long embayment. Displacement of debris-flow levees and channels along NE-striking faults that confirm that displacement is nearly dip-slip, consistent with an overall transport direction toward ~340°, and affording an opportunity to constrain fault displacement directly from the vertical offset of alluvial surfaces of varying age. At the mouth of Happy Canyon, the frontal fault strand displaces a fresh debris-flow by ~3-4 m; soil development atop the debris-flow surface is incipient to negligible. Radiocarbon ages from logs embedded in the flow matrix constrain the timing of the most recent event to younger than ~ 600 cal yr BP. Older alluvial surfaces, such as that buried by the debris-flow lobe, exhibit progressively larger displacement (up to 10-12 m). Well-preserved bar and swale morphology, incipient varnishing of surface boulders, and weak soil development all suggest that this surface is Late Holocene in age. We are working to confirm this inference, but if correct, it suggests that this fault system may have experienced ~3-4 events in the relatively recent past. Finally, preliminary surface ages from even older surfaces along this portion of the fault zone place limits on the slip rate over Late Pleistocene time. Cosmogenic 10Be surface clast dating of an alluvial surface with well-developed pavement and moderate soil development near Happy Canyon suggests a surface age of 30-35 kyr. We are working to refine this estimate with new dating and soil characterization, but our preliminary reconstructions of displacement of this surface across the two primary fault strands are consistent with slip rates that exceed ~3 mm/yr. Overall, these results are consistent with the inference that the Panamint Valley fault zone is the primary structure that accomplishes transfer of right-lateral shear across the Garlock Fault.

3D geodynamic models for the development of opposing continental subduction zones: The Hindu Kush-Pamir example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Jie; Gerya, Taras; Thielmann, Marcel; Webb, A. Alexander G.; Kufner, Sofia-Katerina; Yin, An

2017-12-01

The development of opposing continental subduction zones remains scantly explored in three dimensions. The Hindu Kush-Pamir orogenic system at the western end of the Himalayan orogen provides a rare example of continental collision linked to two opposing intra-continental subduction zones. The subducted plates feature a peculiar 3D geometry consisting of two distinct lithospheric fragments with different polarities, subduction angles and slab-curvatures beneath the Hindu Kush and Pamir, respectively. Using 3D geodynamic modeling, we simulate possible development of two opposing continental subduction zones to understand the dynamic evolution of the Hindu Kush-Pamir orogenic system. Our geodynamic model reproduces the major tectonic elements observed: (1) the deeper subduction depth, the steeper dip angle and the southward offset of the Hindu Kush subduction zone relative to the Pamir naturally occur if convergence direction of the subducting Indian plate and dip-direction of the Hindu Kush subduction zone match. (2) The formation of the highly asymmetrically curved Pamir region and the south-dipping subduction is promoted by the initial geometry of the indenting Indian lithosphere together with the existence of a major strike-slip fault on the eastern margin of the Pamir region. (3) Subduction of only the lower continental crust during continental collision can occur if the coupling between upper and lower crusts is weak enough to allow a separation of these two components, and that (4) the subduction of mainly lower crust then facilitates that conditions for intermediate-depth seismicity can be reached. (5) The secondary tectonic features modeled here such as strike-slip-fault growth, north-northwest striking extension zone, and lateral flow of the thickened ductile upper crust are comparable to the current tectonics of the region. (6) Model results are further compared to the potentially similar orogenic system, i.e., the Alpine orogen, in terms of the curved Western Alpine arc and the two opposing subducted slabs beneath the Alps and the Dinarides.

Tear geometry at active STEPs: an analogue model approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broerse, Taco; Sokoutis, Dimitrios; Willingshofer, Ernst; Govers, Rob

2017-04-01

At the lateral end of a subduction zone, tearing of lithosphere is the result of subduction of oceanic lithosphere while adjacent buoyant continental lithosphere stays at the surface. The location of lithospheric tearing is called a Subduction-Transform-Edge-Propagator (STEP), which continuously extends the plate boundary between overriding plate and continental lithosphere. One of our areas of interest is the southern Caribbean where Atlantic lithosphere subducts below the Caribbean plate. Mantle tomography suggests a clear southern edge of the Lesser Antilles slab, which makes the boundary between the Caribbean and South America a clear STEP candidate. At the surface, the San Sebastián/El Pilar fault zone forms the plate boundary between the Caribbean and South America and the active STEP is located near Trinidad. For the deeper part of the damage/shear zone, some information is available from a recent 3D gravity study: significant lateral variability in densities of the lithospheric mantle to the south of the STEP fault zone. The low-density zone may result from higher sub-crustal temperatures, such as would arise from an asthenospheric window resulting from detachment. Interpreted in this way, the mantle part of the damage zone may be 200-250 km wide. So, while the location of the plate boundary at the surface is relatively well resolved, little is known about the deeper continuation of the active STEP in the mantle lithosphere. We study the evolution of the tearing process at a STEP using analogue models. In our models we use silicone putty (lithosphere) and glucose (asthenosphere). Solely gravitational forces resulting from density differences between oceanic lithosphere and asthenosphere drive our model. Lithospheric tearing commences after subduction has initiated. The geometry of the tear varies with the rheology of the lithosphere and asthenosphere, particularly Newtonian versus power-law. We investigate the dependence on model parameters of the width of the tearing zone and the depth at which tearing occurs.

Transpressional Rupture Cascade of the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Wenbin; Feng, Guangcai; Meng, Lingsen; Zhang, Ailin; Ampuero, Jean Paul; Bürgmann, Roland; Fang, Lihua

2018-03-01

Large earthquakes often do not occur on a simple planar fault but involve rupture of multiple geometrically complex faults. The 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake, New Zealand, involved the rupture of at least 21 faults, propagating from southwest to northeast for about 180 km. Here we combine space geodesy and seismology techniques to study subsurface fault geometry, slip distribution, and the kinematics of the rupture. Our finite-fault slip model indicates that the fault motion changes from predominantly right-lateral slip near the epicenter to transpressional slip in the northeast with a maximum coseismic surface displacement of about 10 m near the intersection between the Kekerengu and Papatea faults. Teleseismic back projection imaging shows that rupture speed was overall slow (1.4 km/s) but faster on individual fault segments (approximately 2 km/s) and that the conjugate, oblique-reverse, north striking faults released the largest high-frequency energy. We show that the linking Conway-Charwell faults aided in propagation of rupture across the step over from the Humps fault zone to the Hope fault. Fault slip cascaded along the Jordan Thrust, Kekerengu, and Needles faults, causing stress perturbations that activated two major conjugate faults, the Hundalee and Papatea faults. Our results shed important light on the study of earthquakes and seismic hazard evaluation in geometrically complex fault systems.

How fault geometry controls earthquake magnitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bletery, Q.; Thomas, A.; Karlstrom, L.; Rempel, A. W.; Sladen, A.; De Barros, L.

2016-12-01

Recent large megathrust earthquakes, such as the Mw9.3 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake in 2004 and the Mw9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake in 2011, astonished the scientific community. The first event occurred in a relatively low-convergence-rate subduction zone where events of its size were unexpected. The second event involved 60 m of shallow slip in a region thought to be aseismicaly creeping and hence incapable of hosting very large magnitude earthquakes. These earthquakes highlight gaps in our understanding of mega-earthquake rupture processes and the factors controlling their global distribution. Here we show that gradients in dip angle exert a primary control on mega-earthquake occurrence. We calculate the curvature along the major subduction zones of the world and show that past mega-earthquakes occurred on flat (low-curvature) interfaces. A simplified analytic model demonstrates that shear strength heterogeneity increases with curvature. Stress loading on flat megathrusts is more homogeneous and hence more likely to be released simultaneously over large areas than on highly-curved faults. Therefore, the absence of asperities on large faults might counter-intuitively be a source of higher hazard.

Assessment of Late Quaternary strain partitioning in the Afar Triple Junction: Dobe and Hanle grabens, Ethiopia and Djibouti

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polun, S. G.; Stockman, M. B.; Hickcox, K.; Horrell, D.; Tesfaye, S.; Gomez, F. G.

2015-12-01

As the only subaerial exposure of a ridge - ridge - ridge triple junction, the Afar region of Ethiopia and Djibouti offers a rare opportunity to assess strain partitioning within this type of triple junction. Here, the plate boundaries do not link discretely, but rather the East African rift meets the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden rifts in a zone of diffuse normal faulting characterized by a lack of magmatic activity, referred to as the central Afar. An initial assessment of Late Quaternary strain partitioning is based on faulted landforms in the Dobe - Hanle graben system in Ethiopia and Djibouti. These two extensional basins are connected by an imbricated accommodation zone. Several fault scarps occur within terraces formed during the last highstand of Lake Dobe, around 5 ka - they provide a means of calibrating a numerical model of fault scarp degradation. Additional timing constraints will be provided by pending exposure ages. The spreading rates of both grabens are equivalent, however in Dobe graben, extension is partitioned 2:1 between northern, south dipping faults and the southern, north dipping fault. Extension in Hanle graben is primarily focused on the north dipping Hanle fault. On the north margin of Dobe graben, the boundary fault bifurcates, where the basin-bordering fault displays a significantly higher modeled uplift rate than the more distal fault, suggesting a basinward propagation of faulting. On the southern Dobe fault, surveyed fault scarps have ages ranging from 30 - 5 ka with uplift rates of 0.71, 0.47, and 0.68 mm/yr, suggesting no secular variation in slip rates from the late Plestocene through the Holocene. These rates are converted into horizontal stretching estimates, which are compared with regional strain estimated from velocities of relatively sparse GPS data.

Fault zone property near Xinfengjiang Reservoir using dense, across-fault seismic array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, M. H. B.; Yang, H.; Sun, X.

2017-12-01

Properties of fault zones are important to the understanding of earthquake process. Around the fault zone is a damaged zone which is characterised by a lower seismic velocity. This is detectable as a low velocity zone and measure some physical property of the fault zone, which is otherwise difficult sample directly. A dense, across-fault array of short period seismometer is deployed on an inactive fault near Xinfengjiang Reservoir. Local events were manually picked. By computing the synthetic arrival time, we were able to constrain the parameters of the fault zone Preliminary result shows that the fault zone is around 350 m wide with a P and S velocity increase of around 10%. The fault is geologically inferred, and this result suggested that it may be a geological layer. The other possibility is that the higher velocity is caused by a combination of fault zone healing and fluid intrusion. Whilst the result was not able to tell us the nature of the fault, it demonstrated that this method is able to derive properties from a fault zone.

Earthquake behavior of the Enriquillo fault zone, Haiti revealed by interactive terrain visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowgill, E.; Bernardin, T. S.; Oskin, M. E.; Bowles, C. J.; Yikilmaz, M. B.; Kreylos, O.; Elliott, A. J.; Bishop, M. S.; Gold, R. D.; Morelan, A.; Bawden, G. W.; Hamann, B.; Kellogg, L. H.

2010-12-01

The Mw 7.0 January 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake ended 240 years of relative quiescence following earthquakes that destroyed Port-au-Prince in 1751 and 1770. We place the 2010 rupture in the context of past earthquakes and future hazards by using remote analysis of airborne LiDAR to observe the topographic expression of active faulting and develop a new conceptual model for the earthquake behavior of the eastern Enriquillo fault zone (EFZ). In this model, the 2010 event occupies a long-lived segment boundary at a stepover within the EFZ separating fault segments that likely ruptured in 1751 and 1770, explaining both past clustering and the lack of 2010 surface rupture. Immediately following the 2010 earthquake, an airborne LiDAR point cloud containing over 2.7 billion point measurements of surface features was collected by the Rochester Inst. of Technology. To analyze these data, we capitalize on the human capacity to visually identify meaningful patterns embedded in noisy data by conducting interactive visual analysis of the entire 66.8 GB Haiti terrain data in a 4-sided, 800 ft3 immersive virtual-reality environment at the UC Davis KeckCAVES using the software tools LiDAR Viewer (to analyze point cloud data) and Crusta (for 3D surficial geologic mapping on DEM data). We discovered and measured landforms displaced by past surface-rupturing earthquakes and remotely characterized the regional fault geometry. Our analysis of the ~50 km long reach of EFZ spanning the 2010 epicenter indicates that geomorphic evidence of active faulting is clearer east of the epicenter than to the west. West of the epicenter, and in the region of the 2010 rupture, the fault is poorly defined along an embayed, low-relief range front, with little evidence of recent surface rupture. In contrast, landform offsets of 6 to 50 m along the reach of the EFZ east of the epicenter and closest to Port-au-Prince attest to repeated recent surface-rupturing earthquakes here. Specifically, we found and documented offset landforms including fluvial terrace risers near Dumay (6.3 +0.9/-1.3 m) and Chauffard/Jameau (32.2 +1.8/-3.1 m), a channel (52 +18/-13 m) ~500 m east of the Chauffard/Jameau site, and an alluvial fan near Fayette (8.6 +2.8/-2.5 m). Based on the fault-trace morphology and distribution of sites where we see 6-8 m offsets, we estimate the probable along-strike extent of past surface rupture was 40 to 60 km along this fault reach. Application of moment-rupture area relationships to these observations suggest that an earthquake similar to, or larger than the Mw 7.0 2010 event is possible along the Enriquillo fault near Port-au-Prince. We deduce that the 2010 earthquake was a relatively small event on a boundary between fault segments that ruptured in 1751 and 1770, based on new analysis of historical damage reports and the gap of well-defined fault-zone morphology where the 2010 earthquake occurred.

Evidences of Shear Deformations and Faulting on Comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko: a Driving Force for the Mechanical Erosion of the Nucleus?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matonti, C.; Auger, A. T.; Groussin, O.; Jorda, L.; Attree, N.; Viseur, S.; El Maarry, M. R.

2016-12-01

Fractures and faults are widespread and pervasive in Earth crustal and sedimentary rocks. They result from deviatoric stresses applied on brittle materials. In various contexts, their geometry often allows one to infer the direction and sometimes the magnitude of the stress that led to their formation. The Rosetta spacecraft has orbited comet 67P for two years and has acquired images of the nucleus surface with an unprecedented spatial resolution, down to 20 cm/px. These data open the way for entirely new geological interpretations of the structures observed at the surface of cometary nuclei. In this work, we focus on the structural interpretations of the meter to hectometer scale lineaments observed on the surface from the OSIRIS-NAC images. To improve interpretations, we performed the digitalization of lineaments in selected zones. In brittle material regions (essentially Atum and Khonsu), we observed structures that nicely match fault splay, duplexes blocks and anastomosing or "en-échelon" patterns. Such structures strongly suggest the occurrence of sheared zones and "strike-slip fault" arrays, which are observed here for the first time at the surface of a comet nucleus. Despite the large differences in the gravity magnitude and nucleus material strength compared to Earth, the observation of such structures seems to confirm comparable gravity to strength ratio between 67P and the Earth (Groussin et al., 2015). Most of these shear structures are sub-parallel and located inside or near the nucleus neck regions (Hapi, Sobek and Wosret), which is consistent with an increased relative shear stress at the boundary of the two lobes (Hirabayashi et al., 2016). These results emphasize mechanisms that may have important implications on the nucleus strength estimation and how it is eroded. Indeed, considering the fault propagation laws along with multiple angles views of structures, the observed faults likely propagate inside the nucleus over several tenths to hundreds of meters. Moreover, possible "faults offsets" observations suggest that relatively important/durable "tectonic-like" processes happened or are still happening in the nucleus. Further comparative analyses of successive images from pre-to-post perihelion phases might allow quantifying the timescale at which these processes occur.

Lithospheric dynamics near plate boundaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, Sean C.

1992-01-01

The progress report on research conducted between 15 Mar. - 14 Sep. 1992 is presented. The focus of the research during the first grant year has been on several problems broadly related to the nature and dynamics of time-dependent deformation and stress along major seismic zones, with an emphasis on western North America but with additional work on seismic zones in oceanic lithosphere as well. The principal findings of our research to date are described in the accompanying papers and abstract. Topics covered include: (1) Global Positioning System measurements of deformations associated with the 1987 Superstition Hills earthquake: evidence for conjugate faulting; (2) Global Positioning System measurements of strain accumulation across the Imperial Valley, California: 1986-1989; (3) present-day crustal deformation in the Salton Trough, southern California; (4) oceanic transform earthquakes with unusual mechanisms or locations: relation to fault geometry and state of stress in the lithosphere; and (5) crustal strain and the 1992 Mojave Desert earthquakes.

A new model for the initiation, crustal architecture, and extinction of pull-apart basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Wijk, J.; Axen, G. J.; Abera, R.

2015-12-01

We present a new model for the origin, crustal architecture, and evolution of pull-apart basins. The model is based on results of three-dimensional upper crustal numerical models of deformation, field observations, and fault theory, and answers many of the outstanding questions related to these rifts. In our model, geometric differences between pull-apart basins are inherited from the initial geometry of the strike-slip fault step which results from early geometry of the strike-slip fault system. As strike-slip motion accumulates, pull-apart basins are stationary with respect to underlying basement and the fault tips may propagate beyond the rift basin. Our model predicts that the sediment source areas may thus migrate over time. This implies that, although pull-apart basins lengthen over time, lengthening is accommodated by extension within the pull-apart basin, rather than formation of new faults outside of the rift zone. In this aspect pull-apart basins behave as narrow rifts: with increasing strike-slip the basins deepen but there is no significant younging outward. We explain why pull-apart basins do not go through previously proposed geometric evolutionary stages, which has not been documented in nature. Field studies predict that pull-apart basins become extinct when an active basin-crossing fault forms; this is the most likely fate of pull-apart basins, because strike-slip systems tend to straighten. The model predicts what the favorable step-dimensions are for the formation of such a fault system, and those for which a pull-apart basin may further develop into a short seafloor-spreading ridge. The model also shows that rift shoulder uplift is enhanced if the strike-slip rate is larger than the fault-propagation rate. Crustal compression then contributes to uplift of the rift flanks.

Fault geometries and deformation mechanisms in the evolution of low-angle normal faults (Kea, Greece)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iglseder, C.; Grasemann, B.; Schneider, D.; Rice, A. H. N.; Stöckli, D.; Rockenschaub, M.

2009-04-01

The overall tectonic regime in the Cyclades since the Oligocene has been characterized by crustal extension, accommodated by movements on low-angle normal faults (LANFs). On Kea, structural investigations have demonstrated the existence of an island-wide LANF within a large-scale ductile-brittle shear-zone traceable over a distance of 19.5 km parallel to the stretching lineation. The tectonostratigraphy comprises Attic-Cycladic Crystalline lithologies with a shallowly-dipping schist-calcite marble unit overlain by calcitic and dolomitic fault rocks. Notably, the calcitic marbles have been mylonitized, with a mean NNE/NE-SSW/SW trending, pervasive stretching lineation and intense isoclinal folding with fold axes parallel to the stretching lineation. Numerous SC-SCĆ-fabrics and monoclinic clast-geometries show a consistent top-to-SSW shear-sense. Recorded within all lithologies is a consistent WNW/NW-ESE/SE and NNE/NE-SSW/SW striking network of conjugated brittle, brittle-ductile high-angle faults perpendicular and (sub)parallel to the main stretching direction. Field evidence and microstructural investigations indicate high-angle normal faults formed synchronously with movement on LANFs. This interplay of LANFs with high-angle structures, initiated and evolved from brittle-ductile to brittle conditions, indicates initial stages of movement below the calcite brittle-ductile transition but above the dolomite transition. Weakening processes related to syntectonic fluid-rock interactions highlight these observations. In particular, grain-size reduction and strain localisation in fine-grained (ultra)-cataclasites and fine-grained aggregates of phyllosilicate-rich fault-rocks promoted fluid-flow and pressure-solution-accommodated ‘frictional-viscous' creep. These mechanisms show the importance for LANF slip and movement in the progressive development and interaction between contemporaneous active normal faults in the Andersonian-Byerlee frictional mechanics.

Spatio-temporal mapping of plate boundary faults in California using geodetic imaging

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donnellan, Andrea; Arrowsmith, Ramon; DeLong, Stephen B.

2017-01-01

The Pacific–North American plate boundary in California is composed of a 400-km-wide network of faults and zones of distributed deformation. Earthquakes, even large ones, can occur along individual or combinations of faults within the larger plate boundary system. While research often focuses on the primary and secondary faults, holistic study of the plate boundary is required to answer several fundamental questions. How do plate boundary motions partition across California faults? How do faults within the plate boundary interact during earthquakes? What fraction of strain accumulation is relieved aseismically and does this provide limits on fault rupture propagation? Geodetic imaging, broadly defined as measurement of crustal deformation and topography of the Earth’s surface, enables assessment of topographic characteristics and the spatio-temporal behavior of the Earth’s crust. We focus here on crustal deformation observed with continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) data and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) from NASA’s airborne UAVSAR platform, and on high-resolution topography acquired from lidar and Structure from Motion (SfM) methods. Combined, these measurements are used to identify active structures, past ruptures, transient motions, and distribution of deformation. The observations inform estimates of the mechanical and geometric properties of faults. We discuss five areas in California as examples of different fault behavior, fault maturity and times within the earthquake cycle: the M6.0 2014 South Napa earthquake rupture, the San Jacinto fault, the creeping and locked Carrizo sections of the San Andreas fault, the Landers rupture in the Eastern California Shear Zone, and the convergence of the Eastern California Shear Zone and San Andreas fault in southern California. These examples indicate that distribution of crustal deformation can be measured using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and high-resolution topography and can improve our understanding of tectonic deformation and rupture characteristics within the broad plate boundary zone.

Fault zone architecture within Miocene-Pliocene syn-rift sediments, Northwestern Red Sea, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaky, Khairy S.

2017-04-01

The present study focusses on field description of small normal fault zones in Upper Miocene-Pliocene sedimentary rocks on the northwestern side of the Red Sea, Egypt. The trend of these fault zones is mainly NW-SE. Paleostress analysis of 17 fault planes and slickenlines indicate that the tension direction is NE-SW. The minimum ( σ3) and intermediate ( σ2) paleostress axes are generally sub-horizontal and the maximum paleostress axis ( σ1) is sub-vertical. The fault zones are composed of damage zones and fault core. The damage zone is characterized by subsidiary faults and fractures that are asymmetrically developed on the hanging wall and footwall of the main fault. The width of the damage zone varies for each fault depending on the lithology, amount of displacement and irregularity of the fault trace. The average ratio between the hanging wall and the footwall damage zones width is about 3:1. The fault core consists of fault gouge and breccia. It is generally concentrated in a narrow zone of ˜0.5 to ˜8 cm width. The overall pattern of the fault core indicates that the width increases with increasing displacement. The faults with displacement < 1 m have fault cores ranging from 0.5 to 4.0 cm, while the faults with displacements of > 2 m have fault cores ranging from 4.0 to 8.0 cm. The fault zones are associated with sliver fault blocks, clay smear, segmented faults and fault lenses' structural features. These features are mechanically related to the growth and linkage of the fault arrays. The structural features may represent a neotectonic and indicate that the architecture of the fault zones is developed as several tectonic phases.

Holocene deposition and megathrust splay fault geometries within Prince William Sound, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, S.; Liberty, L. M.; Haeussler, P. J.; Pratt, T. L.

2011-12-01

New high resolution sparker seismic reflection data, in conjunction with reprocessed legacy seismic data, provide the basis for a new fault, fold, and Holocene sediment thickness database for Prince William Sound, Alaska. Additionally, legacy airgun seismic data in Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska tie features on these new sparker data to deeper portions of megathrust splay faults. We correlate regionally extensive bathymetric lineaments within Prince William Sound to megathrust splay faults, such as the ones that ruptured in the 1964 M9.2 earthquake. Lastly, we estimate Holocene sediment thickness within Prince William Sound to better constrain the Holocene fault history throughout the region. We identify three seismic facies related to Holocene, Quaternary, and Tertiary strata that are crosscut by numerous high angle normal faults in the hanging wall of the megathrust splay faults. The crustal-scale seismic reflection profiles show splay faults emerging from 20 km depth between the Yakutat block and North American crust and surfacing as the Hanning Bay and Patton Bay faults. A change in exhumation rates, slip rates, and fault orientation appears near Hinchinbrook that we attribute to differences in subducted slab geometry. Based on our slip rate analysis, we calculate average Holocene displacements of 20 m and 100 m in eastern and western Prince William Sound, respectively. Landward of two splay faults exposed on Montague Island, we observe subsidence, faulting, and landslides that record deformation associated with the 1964 and older megathrust earthquakes.

A possible transoceanic tsunami directed toward the U.S. west coast from the Semidi segment, Alaska convergent margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

von Huene, Roland E.; Miller, John J.; Dartnell, Peter

2016-01-01

The Semidi segment of the Alaska convergent margin appears capable of generating a giant tsunami like the one produced along the nearby Unimak segment in 1946. Reprocessed legacy seismic reflection data and a compilation of multibeam bathymetric surveys reveal structures that could generate such a tsunami. A 200 km long ridge or escarpment with crests >1 km high is the surface expression of an active out-of-sequence fault zone, recently referred to as a splay fault. Such faults are potentially tsunamigenic. This type of fault zone separates the relatively rigid rock of the margin framework from the anelastic accreted sediment prism. Seafloor relief of the ridge exceeds that of similar age accretionary prism ridges indicating preferential slip along the splay fault zone. The greater slip may derive from Quaternary subduction of the Patton Murray hot spot ridge that extends 200 km toward the east across the north Pacific. Estimates of tsunami repeat times from paleotsunami studies indicate that the Semidi segment could be near the end of its current inter-seismic cycle. GPS records from Chirikof Island at the shelf edge indicate 90% locking of plate interface faults. An earthquake in the shallow Semidi subduction zone could generate a tsunami that will inundate the US west coast more than the 1946 and 1964 earthquakes because the Semidi continental slope azimuth directs a tsunami southeastward.

Soil-Gas Radon Anomaly Map of an Unknown Fault Zone Area, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udphuay, S.; Kaweewong, C.; Imurai, W.; Pondthai, P.

2015-12-01

Soil-gas radon concentration anomaly map was constructed to help detect an unknown subsurface fault location in San Sai District, Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand where a 5.1-magnitude earthquake took place in December 2006. It was suspected that this earthquake may have been associated with an unrecognized active fault in the area. In this study, soil-gas samples were collected from eighty-four measuring stations covering an area of approximately 50 km2. Radon in soil-gas samples was quantified using Scintrex Radon Detector, RDA-200. The samplings were conducted twice: during December 2014-January 2015 and March 2015-April 2015. The soil-gas radon map obtained from this study reveals linear NNW-SSE trend of high concentration. This anomaly corresponds to the direction of the prospective fault system interpreted from satellite images. The findings from this study support the existence of this unknown fault system. However a more detailed investigation should be conducted in order to confirm its geometry, orientation and lateral extent.

Incorporating fault zone head wave and direct wave secondary arrival times into seismic tomography: Application at Parkfield, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennington, N. L.; Thurber, C. H.; Zhang, H.; Peng, Z.; Zhao, P.

2011-12-01

Large crustal faults such as the San Andreas fault (SAF) often juxtapose rocks of significantly different elastic properties, resulting in well-defined bimaterial interfaces. A sharp material contrast across the fault interface is expected to generate fault zone head waves (FZHW's) that spend a large portion of their propagation paths refracting along the bimaterial interface (Ben-Zion 1989, 1990; Ben-Zion & Aki 1990). Because of this FZHW's provide a high-resolution tool for imaging the velocity contrast across the fault. Recently, Zhao et al. (2010) systematically analyzed large data sets of near-fault waveforms recorded by several permanent and temporary seismic networks along the Parkfield section of the SAF. The local-scale tomography study of Zhang et al. (2009) for a roughly 10 km3 volume centered on SAFOD and the more regional-scale study of Thurber et al. (2006) for a 130 km x 120 km x 20 km volume centered on the 2004 Parkfield earthquake rupture provide what are probably the best 3D images of the seismic velocity structure of the area. The former shows a low velocity zone associated with the SAF extending to significant depth, and both image the well-known velocity contrast across the fault. Seismic tomography generally uses just first P and/or S arrivals because of the relative simplicity of phase picking and ray tracing. Adding secondary arrivals such as FZHW's, however, can enhance the resolution of structure and strengthen constraints on earthquake locations and focal mechanisms. We present a model of 3D velocity structure for the Parkfield region that utilizes a combination of arrival times for FZHW's and the associated direct-wave secondary arrivals as well as existing P-wave arrival time data. The resulting image provides a higher-resolution model of the SAF at depth than previously published models. In addition, we plan to measure polarizations of the direct P and S waves and FZHW's and incorporate the data into our updated velocity tomography/relocation inversion. Through these efforts, we hope to refine the 3D tomographic image of seismic velocity structure and the complex geometry of the active fault strands near SAFOD and along the Parkfield rupture zone.

A geological evidence of very low frequency earthquake inferred from vitrinite thermal records across a microfault within on-land accretionary complex.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morita, K.; Hashimoto, Y.; Hirose, T.; Hamada, Y.; Kitamura, M.

2014-12-01

Generation of friction heat associated with fault slip is controlled by friction, slip distance and fault thickness. Nature of fault slip can be estimated from the record of frictional heating along a fault (e.g., Fulton et al., 2012). Purpose of this study is to detect the record of frictional heating along a microfault observed in on-land accretionary complex, Shimanto Belt, SW Japan using vitrinite reflectance (Ro) and to examine the characteristics of fault slip in deeper subduction zone. The study area is located in Nonokawa formation, the Cretaceous Shimanto Belt, in Kochi Prefecture, Southwest Japan. We found a carbonaceous material concentrated layer (CMCL) in the formation. Some micro-faults cut the layer. The thickness of CMCL is about 3-4m. Ro of host rock is about 0.98-1.1% and of fault rock is over 1.2%. Kitamura et al. (2012) pointed out that fracturing energy may control the high Ro within fault zone. To avoid the effect of fracturing on Ro, we tired to detect a diffusion pattern of frictional heating in host rocks. Distribution of Ro is mapped in thin sections to make the Ro-distance pattern perpendicular to the fault plane. Within the fracture zone, abnormally high Ro (about 2.0% or above) was observed. Ro was 1.25% at the wall of fracture zone and decreases to 1.1% at about 5cm from the wall. We interpreted that the Ro-distance pattern was resulted from the thermal diffusion. Using this diffusion pattern, the characteristic fault parameters, such as friction, slip rate and rise time (Tr) was examined. We set parameters Q (= friction times slip rate). We have simulated frictional heating and Ro maturation on the basis of the method by Sweeny and Burnham (1990). Grid search was conducted to find the best fitted combination of Q and Tr at the smallest residual between simulated Ro and observed Ro. In the result, we estimated about 1500 (Pa m/s) of Q and about 130000(s) of Tr. Because the base temperature is about 185˚C based on the 1.1% of Ro, the depth of fault activity can be corresponded to about 6 km. The effective pressure is estimated about 94MPa. If we put friction coefficient as 0.4-0.6, the friction is about 37.6-56.5MPa. Therefore, slip rate is calculated to be about 27-40μm/s. This very slow slip rate is consistent with that for very low frequency earthquake (VLFe) reported by Sugioka et al. (2012).

Seismic profile analysis of the Kangra and Dehradun re-entrant of NW Himalayan Foreland thrust belt, India: A new approach to delineate subsurface geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, Joyjit; Perumal, R. Jayangonda; Sarkar, Subham; Bhowmik, Anamitra

2017-08-01

In the NW Sub-Himalayan frontal thrust belt in India, seismic interpretation of subsurface geometry of the Kangra and Dehradun re-entrant mismatch with the previously proposed models. These procedures lack direct quantitative measurement on the seismic profile required for subsurface structural architecture. Here we use a predictive angular function for establishing quantitative geometric relationships between fault and fold shapes with `Distance-displacement method' (D-d method). It is a prognostic straightforward mechanism to probe the possible structural network from a seismic profile. Two seismic profiles Kangra-2 and Kangra-4 of Kangra re-entrant, Himachal Pradesh (India), are investigated for the fault-related folds associated with the Balh and Paror anticlines. For Paror anticline, the final cut-off angle β =35{°} was obtained by transforming the seismic time profile into depth profile to corroborate the interpreted structures. Also, the estimated shortening along the Jawalamukhi Thrust and Jhor Fault, lying between the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) and the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) in the frontal fold-thrust belt, were found to be 6.06 and 0.25 km, respectively. Lastly, the geometric method of fold-fault relationship has been exercised to document the existence of a fault-bend fold above the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT). Measurement of shortening along the fault plane is employed as an ancillary tool to prove the multi-bending geometry of the blind thrust of the Dehradun re-entrant.

Stress shadow prohibits low interseismic coupling on shallow megathrusts, even where they are frictionally unlocked

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindsey, E. O.; Almeida, R. V.; Bradley, K. E.; Hubbard, J.; Sathiakumar, S.; Mallick, R.; Barbot, S.; Hill, E.

2017-12-01

The possibility of large coseismic slip on the shallow part of megathrusts represents a significant hazard, due to both tsunami risk (for subduction zones) and strong seismic shaking hazard (for subaerial megathrusts). Laboratory experiments have long suggested that the shallow part of these faults may be frictionally unlocked. However, evidence for the predicted shallow creep remains scarce, and in the case of more accessible subaerial megathrusts such as the Himalaya, appears to be virtually absent. We propose that the lack of shallow creep can be due to the presence of a stress shadow from the down-dip locked portion of the fault and therefore that interseismic geodetic observations (even at the seafloor) are typically insufficient to constrain the frictional locking on the shallow portion of the fault. We use a boundary element model with rate-strengthening friction up-dip of a locked fault segment and find that a coupling value of zero at the trench is physically unrealistic even if only a small portion of the downdip fault zone is locked. For a typical subduction zone fault geometry which is frictionally unlocked from the surface to half the maximum seismogenic depth (considered an extreme case) we find that a coupling ratio of less than 0.7 at the trench is prohibited under most conditions. For a narrower zone of up-dip unlocking, the coupling ratio should be even higher. This result highlights the difference between frictional locking (a mechanical parameter) and geodetic coupling (a kinematic parameter), and indicates that published models of coupling that assume or predict low coupling at the trench need to be reevaluated. To assess how the up-dip slip deficit is ultimately released in the case of a frictionally unlocked (but geodetically coupled) zone, we conduct a series of earthquake cycle models based on rate- and state-dependent friction in two and three dimensions. The results show that strain in the shallow part of the fault is typically released as coseismic and postseismic slip, except under conditions favoring nucleation of shallow earthquakes or SSEs. During the interseismic period, our results suggest that seafloor geodetic instruments with an uncertainty of cm/yr may not have the resolution to distinguish shallow frictional locking (with zero slip) from unlocking (with slip <30% of plate rate).

A Simplified Model for Multiphase Leakage through Faults with Applications for CO2 Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, F. E.; Doster, F.

2017-12-01

In the context of geological CO2 storage, faults in the subsurface could affect storage security by acting as high permeability pathways which allow CO2 to flow upwards and away from the storage formation. To assess the likelihood of leakage through faults and the impacts faults might have on storage security numerical models are required. However, faults are complex geological features, usually consisting of a fault core surrounded by a highly fractured damage zone. A direct representation of these in a numerical model would require very fine grid resolution and would be computationally expensive. Here, we present the development of a reduced complexity model for fault flow using the vertically integrated formulation. This model captures the main features of the flow but does not require us to resolve the vertical dimension, nor the fault in the horizontal dimension, explicitly. It is thus less computationally expensive than full resolution models. Consequently, we can quickly model many realisations for parameter uncertainty studies of CO2 injection into faulted reservoirs. We develop the model based on explicitly simulating local 3D representations of faults for characteristic scenarios using the Matlab Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST). We have assessed the impact of variables such as fault geometry, porosity and permeability on multiphase leakage rates.

Evolution of Pull-Apart Basins and Their Scale Independence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydin, Atilla; Nur, Amos

1982-02-01

Pull-apart basins or rhomb grabens and horsts along major strike-slip fault systems in the world are generally associated with horizontal slip along faults. A simple model suggests that the width of the rhombs is controlled by the initial fault geometry, whereas the length increases with increasing fault displacement. We have tested this model by analyzing the shapes of 70 well-defined rhomb-like pull-apart basins and pressure ridges, ranging from tens of meters to tens of kilometers in length, associated with several major strike-slip faults in the western United States, Israel, Turkey, Iran, Guatemala, Venezuela, and New Zealand. In conflict with the model, we find that the length to width ratio of these basins is a constant value of approximately 3; these basins become wider as they grow longer with increasing fault offset. Two possible mechanisms responsible for the increase in width are suggested: (1) coalescence of neighboring rhomb grabens as each graben increases its length and (2) formation of fault strands parallel to the existing ones when large displacements need to be accommodated. The processes of formation and growth of new fault strands promote interaction among the new faults and between the new and preexisting faults on a larger scale. Increased displacement causes the width of the fault zone to increase resulting in wider pull-apart basins.

Evolving geometrical heterogeneities of fault trace data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wechsler, Neta; Ben-Zion, Yehuda; Christofferson, Shari

2010-08-01

We perform a systematic comparative analysis of geometrical fault zone heterogeneities using derived measures from digitized fault maps that are not very sensitive to mapping resolution. We employ the digital GIS map of California faults (version 2.0) and analyse the surface traces of active strike-slip fault zones with evidence of Quaternary and historic movements. Each fault zone is broken into segments that are defined as a continuous length of fault bounded by changes of angle larger than 1°. Measurements of the orientations and lengths of fault zone segments are used to calculate the mean direction and misalignment of each fault zone from the local plate motion direction, and to define several quantities that represent the fault zone disorder. These include circular standard deviation and circular standard error of segments, orientation of long and short segments with respect to the mean direction, and normal separation distances of fault segments. We examine the correlations between various calculated parameters of fault zone disorder and the following three potential controlling variables: cumulative slip, slip rate and fault zone misalignment from the plate motion direction. The analysis indicates that the circular standard deviation and circular standard error of segments decrease overall with increasing cumulative slip and increasing slip rate of the fault zones. The results imply that the circular standard deviation and error, quantifying the range or dispersion in the data, provide effective measures of the fault zone disorder, and that the cumulative slip and slip rate (or more generally slip rate normalized by healing rate) represent the fault zone maturity. The fault zone misalignment from plate motion direction does not seem to play a major role in controlling the fault trace heterogeneities. The frequency-size statistics of fault segment lengths can be fitted well by an exponential function over the entire range of observations.