Kinematic models of interseismic deformation in Southern California

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2004.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Meade, Brendan J. (Brendan Joseph), 1975-
Other Authors: Bradford H. Hager.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2005
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/18069
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author Meade, Brendan J. (Brendan Joseph), 1975-
author2 Bradford H. Hager.
author_facet Bradford H. Hager.
Meade, Brendan J. (Brendan Joseph), 1975-
author_sort Meade, Brendan J. (Brendan Joseph), 1975-
collection MIT
description Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2004.
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spelling mit-1721.1/180692019-04-13T00:10:21Z Kinematic models of interseismic deformation in Southern California Meade, Brendan J. (Brendan Joseph), 1975- Bradford H. Hager. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2004. Includes bibliographical references. We develop a framework for interpreting geodetic measurements of interseismic deformation and geologic slip rate estimates in terms of block motions. This method accounts for the effects of block rotations and interseismic strain accumulation from active fults. We find that the San Andreas Fault slips close to Its Holocene rate in the Carrizo Plain (35.6 [plus-minus] 0.5 mm/yr) but is five times slower near San Bernadino (6.6 [plus-minus] 2.7 mm/yr). Thrust faults underneath Los Angeles, the Ventura Basin, and the San Gabriel range front all exhibit active shortening from 0.5 to 13.5 mm/yr. We suggest that differences between paleoseismic and block model slip rate estimates may be explained by changes in fault slip rates through the Holocene. The viscoelastic rheology of the non-brittle upper lithosphere may give rise to time dependent surface deformation though the seismic cycle. We extend a classic theory from periodic to temporally clustered earthquakes by superposing several out of phase earthquake cycles. This new model displays a much wider range of behaviors than does the periodic earthquake cycle model and provides a mechanism to explain apparent discrepancies between geologic and geodetic slip rate estimates. The potential for large earthquakes in an active fault system is determined by the balance between coseismic moment release and interseismic moment accumulation. We identify regions of local moment deficit in Southern California by comparing historical earthquake catalogs with the fault slip rate catalogs derived from both geologic and geodetic data. Large moment release deficits are localized in the northern Mojave Desert, San Jacinto fault, San Andreas fault, and the greater Los Angeles area. We estimate the (cont.) minimum size earthquake sources (M > 7) required to relieve these deficits. by Brendan J. Meade. Ph.D. 2005-06-02T19:51:08Z 2005-06-02T19:51:08Z 2004 2004 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/18069 57561171 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 179 leaves 8237710 bytes 8260182 bytes application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf n-us-ca Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
Meade, Brendan J. (Brendan Joseph), 1975-
Kinematic models of interseismic deformation in Southern California
title Kinematic models of interseismic deformation in Southern California
title_full Kinematic models of interseismic deformation in Southern California
title_fullStr Kinematic models of interseismic deformation in Southern California
title_full_unstemmed Kinematic models of interseismic deformation in Southern California
title_short Kinematic models of interseismic deformation in Southern California
title_sort kinematic models of interseismic deformation in southern california
topic Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/18069
work_keys_str_mv AT meadebrendanjbrendanjoseph1975 kinematicmodelsofinterseismicdeformationinsoutherncalifornia