Analysis of the seismic hazard of faults in Nevada
- Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States). Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Major Quaternary faults throughout Nevada were analyzed to estimate characteristic earthquake (CE), maximum credible earthquake (MCE), slip rate, and the average recurrence of the CE. Earthquake sizes were estimated using historical seismicity, the fault zone length, maximum surface displacement, seismic-moment estimates, and consideration of earthquakes from the historical record. The CE is the expected or best guess'' event for a fault and is associated with a recurrence interval whereas the MCE is a physical maximum that can reasonably be associated with the fault. Slip rates are estimated from offset Quaternary units, or a relative comparison of tectonic geomorphology with faults with known slip rates. To estimate the average frequency or recurrence of the CE, an assumption is made that all of the deformation along these faults occurs during these events, and that these events have a periodic recurrence. This allows the estimation of earthquake recurrence by focusing on the time interval required to accumulate the strain released during the CE. This assumption is made because there is very little direct data of the recurrence intervals of most faults in Nevada (e.g., trenching studies, etc.). The results of this study suggest that the magnitudes associated with faults in Nevada range from 6.6 to about 8, with most values around 7 to 7.3. Magnitude estimates obtained from this study are considered to have an uncertainty of about 1/4 a magnitude unit. This study indicates that there is a significant seismic hazard throughout the state, in contrast to the distribution of historical earthquakes which have been concentrated in western Nevada.
- OSTI ID:
- 5420844
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9305259-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 25:5; Conference: 89. annual meeting of the Cordilleran Section and the 46th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Reno, NV (United States), 19-21 May 1993; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Late Quaternary faulting and historic seismicity in the western Lake Mead area, Nevada, Arizona and California
Recurrence intervals and maximum earthquakes associated with thrusting, Coast Range-Central Valley boundary, California