Comprehensive study of the seismotectonics of the Aleutian arc. Annual progress report, March 1, 1976--February 28, 1977

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7110049· OSTI ID:7110049

Davies, J. N.; House, L.; Jacob, K. H.; Nakamura, K.; Perez, O.; Lelyveld, P.; Hamburger, M.; Skinta, L.

Seismological, volcanological, and geodetic research supported by ERDA has contributed to knowledge of the seismotectonics of the Aleutian Island arc. Some of the results of research supported wholly or in part by ERDA have been presented in three papers: The Alaska-Aleutian Trench-Volcano Gap: Facts, and Speculations on the Role of Terrigenous Sediments on the Subduction Process; Aleutian Benioff Zone Morphology and Some Plate Tectonic Implications; and Aleutian Volcanoes as Indicators of the Regional Stress Field - Aleutians and Alaska. A catalogue of the Shumagin Islands seismicity which shows the activity of the past three years in annual and quarterly intervals is nearing completion. Focal mechanism studies of Aleutian/Alaskan earthquakes have continued. The results of 13 new solutions are presented in this report. A statistical study of Aleutian earthquakes was made to evaluate the probability of a major or great earthquake occurring within the Shumagin gap. This study concludes that it is very likely that an earthquake larger than magnitude seven will occur and that the probability that it will be larger than magnitude eight is significant. Finally, a study of surface wave dispersion to examine crust and upper mantle structure in the Pacific and Aleutian basins has begun.

• Research Organization: Columbia Univ., Palisades, NY (USA). Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory
• OSTI ID: 7110049
• Report Number(s): COO-3134-10
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580201* -- Geophysics-- Seismology & Tectonics-- (1980-1989)
ALASKA
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
DATA COMPILATION
EARTHQUAKES
FORECASTING
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
ISLANDS
MECHANICS
NORTH AMERICA
PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION
PACIFIC OCEAN
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEAS
SEISMIC EVENTS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SEISMIC WAVES
SEISMOLOGY
STATISTICAL MECHANICS
SURFACE WATERS
TECTONICS
USA
VOLCANISM