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Title: Right-lateral displacements and the Holocene slip rate associated with prehistoric earthquakes along the southern Panamint Valley fault zone: Implications for southern Basin and Range tectonics and coastal California deformation

Abstract

The N 20{degree}W-trending Panamint Valley fault zone is linked to the N 60{degree}W-trending Hunter Mountain strike-slip fault and the Saline Valley fault system, which represents on of the three major fault systems accommodating active crustal extension in the southern Great Basin. The displacement associated with the most recent event, determined through six detailed topographic maps of offset features, is 3.2 {plus minus} 0.5 m, and a number of larger offsets, in range of 6-7 m and 12 m, are also observed. If the larger displacements represent, respectively, two and three events, each of {approximately} 3 m, then the fault zone appears to be associated with a characteristic earthquake, which the authors estimate from the length of the rupture zone and the displacement to be between (Ms) 6.5 and 7.2. The Holocene slip rate is 2.36 {plus minus} 0.79 mm/yr, is determined from the displacement of two alluvial features whose maximum age is estimated from pluvial shorelines. Assuming a characterisitc earthquake model, the recurrence interval is between 860 and 2,360 years. The total slip vector of the southern Panamint Valley fault system is oriented toward {approximately} N 35{degree}W, making this a predominately strike-slip fault. In conjunction with the N 60{degree}W orientationmore » of the Hunter mountain strike-slip fault, the authors suggest that the displacement vector for the southern Great Basin is toward the NW, consistent with results from VLBI data, rather than WNW as determined by combining VLBI and geological data. This is turn suggests that the coastal California deformation component involves, respectively, less shortening and more strike-slip displacement perpendicular and parallel to the San Andreas fault than is currently proposed.« less

Authors:
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Nevada, Reno (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5009828
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 95:B4; Journal ID: ISSN 0148-0227
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; CALIFORNIA; GEOLOGIC FAULTS; SLIP; COASTAL REGIONS; DEFORMATION; EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE; EARTHQUAKES; GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS; GEOLOGIC HISTORY; GEOLOGIC MODELS; GREAT BASIN; QUATERNARY PERIOD; STRATA MOVEMENT; TECTONICS; TOPOGRAPHY; VALLEYS; CENOZOIC ERA; DEVELOPED COUNTRIES; FEDERAL REGION IX; GEOLOGIC AGES; GEOLOGIC FRACTURES; GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES; NORTH AMERICA; SEISMIC EVENTS; USA; 580000* - Geosciences

Citation Formats

Zhang, Peizhen, Ellis, M, Slemmons, D B, and Mao, Fengying. Right-lateral displacements and the Holocene slip rate associated with prehistoric earthquakes along the southern Panamint Valley fault zone: Implications for southern Basin and Range tectonics and coastal California deformation. United States: N. p., 1990. Web. doi:10.1029/JB095iB04p04857.
Zhang, Peizhen, Ellis, M, Slemmons, D B, & Mao, Fengying. Right-lateral displacements and the Holocene slip rate associated with prehistoric earthquakes along the southern Panamint Valley fault zone: Implications for southern Basin and Range tectonics and coastal California deformation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/JB095iB04p04857
Zhang, Peizhen, Ellis, M, Slemmons, D B, and Mao, Fengying. 1990. "Right-lateral displacements and the Holocene slip rate associated with prehistoric earthquakes along the southern Panamint Valley fault zone: Implications for southern Basin and Range tectonics and coastal California deformation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/JB095iB04p04857.
@article{osti_5009828,
title = {Right-lateral displacements and the Holocene slip rate associated with prehistoric earthquakes along the southern Panamint Valley fault zone: Implications for southern Basin and Range tectonics and coastal California deformation},
author = {Zhang, Peizhen and Ellis, M and Slemmons, D B and Mao, Fengying},
abstractNote = {The N 20{degree}W-trending Panamint Valley fault zone is linked to the N 60{degree}W-trending Hunter Mountain strike-slip fault and the Saline Valley fault system, which represents on of the three major fault systems accommodating active crustal extension in the southern Great Basin. The displacement associated with the most recent event, determined through six detailed topographic maps of offset features, is 3.2 {plus minus} 0.5 m, and a number of larger offsets, in range of 6-7 m and 12 m, are also observed. If the larger displacements represent, respectively, two and three events, each of {approximately} 3 m, then the fault zone appears to be associated with a characteristic earthquake, which the authors estimate from the length of the rupture zone and the displacement to be between (Ms) 6.5 and 7.2. The Holocene slip rate is 2.36 {plus minus} 0.79 mm/yr, is determined from the displacement of two alluvial features whose maximum age is estimated from pluvial shorelines. Assuming a characterisitc earthquake model, the recurrence interval is between 860 and 2,360 years. The total slip vector of the southern Panamint Valley fault system is oriented toward {approximately} N 35{degree}W, making this a predominately strike-slip fault. In conjunction with the N 60{degree}W orientation of the Hunter mountain strike-slip fault, the authors suggest that the displacement vector for the southern Great Basin is toward the NW, consistent with results from VLBI data, rather than WNW as determined by combining VLBI and geological data. This is turn suggests that the coastal California deformation component involves, respectively, less shortening and more strike-slip displacement perpendicular and parallel to the San Andreas fault than is currently proposed.},
doi = {10.1029/JB095iB04p04857},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5009828}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)},
issn = {0148-0227},
number = ,
volume = 95:B4,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Apr 10 00:00:00 EDT 1990},
month = {Tue Apr 10 00:00:00 EDT 1990}
}