Progressive deformation and degradation along the northern portion of the Big Bend of the San Andreas Fault

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:5724116

Arrowsmith, R ^[1]

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1. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Geology

The 1-to-5-km-wide Elkhorn Hills in the southeastern Carrizo Plain, California (bounded by the San Andreas Fault (SAF) on the southwest and a series of reverse faults on the northeast), are progressively deformed as they are displaced along the SAF into the northern portion of the Big Bend. The structural development follows this sequence: (1) an alluvial fan surface is cut by reverse faults about 500 m northeast of the SAF, and grabens form in the foot-wall block of the faults; (2) a reverse fault striking 25 degrees counterclockwise from the SAF cuts the fan surface 2 to 3 km northeast of the SAF, left-stepping grabens form in the reverse fault hanging wall; their orientation is controlled by distributed SAF parallel shear and by dip variations in the reverse fault surface; (3) reverse faults accumulate displacement, increasing relief in the Elkhorn Hills, while hanging wall extension decreases; (4) slip on deeper thrusts accommodates contraction within the Big Bend, and Elkhorn Hills deformation decreases. Within the Northern Elkhorn Hills, the evidence for the development of deformation in time and space includes a southeastward increase in total displacement on the normal and reverse faults, a southeastward increase in the degradation of the normal fault scarps, and the beheading of a southwest flowing drainage by slip on the reverse fault, as well as cutting of that drainage by normal faults, implying contemporaneous propagation of normal and reverse faults. Based on a ground pattern age of 4 to 10 ka for the beheaded drainage and the present location of the reverse fault, a propagation rate of 3.5 to 10 cm/yr is calculated: consistent with the 3.5 cm/yr at which the Elkhorn Hills are displaced into the Big Bend by strike-slip motion along the SAF.

• OSTI ID: 5724116
• Report Number(s): CONF-921058--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 24:7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
AGE ESTIMATION
CALIFORNIA
DEFORMATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DRAINAGE
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GROUND MOTION
MECHANICS
MOTION
NORTH AMERICA
ROCK MECHANICS
USA