Seismic slip, segmentation, and the Loma Prieta Earthquake

Geoffrey King; Allan Goddard Lindh; David H. Oppenheimer

doi:10.1029/gl017i009p01449

Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70242671

Seismic slip, segmentation, and the Loma Prieta Earthquake

Geoffrey King·Allan Goddard Lindh·David H. Oppenheimer

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We have plotted the cumulative seismic slip projected onto a vertical plane for earthquakes occurring during the last 20 years along 210 km of the San Andreas fault that includes the section that moved in the Loma Prieta earthquake. These plots illustrate the differences in depth and character of the seismicity between the locked and creeping portions of the fault or fault zone and define the segment upon which the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred. Working by analogy from the relation between pre-main shock microseismicity and presumed main shock slip regions at Parkfield and Loma Prieta, we identify a segment on the San Francisco Peninsula where we believe the M 7 1838 earthquake occurred, and which we believe may have accumulated sufficient strain that rupture should be expected in the coming decades.

Explore related subjects

Geophysical Research Letters Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 35.13739355104336° to 37.801282215967134° latitude; -122.67567357696888° to -119.70396779833543° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Geoffrey King, Allan Goddard Lindh, David H. Oppenheimer. 2012-12-07. Seismic slip, segmentation, and the Loma Prieta Earthquake. https://doi.org/10.1029/gl017i009p01449

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2026

Evolution of summit magma pressure during the 2018 caldera collapse at Kılauea volcano

We utilized geodetic data from the 16 May to 4 August 2018 caldera collapse sequence to refine the geometries and pressure evolution of two summit reservoirs at Kīlauea volcano: the shallower Halema‘uma‘u (HMM) and deeper South Caldera (SC) reservoirs. We modeled magma reservoirs as pressurized spheroidal cavities and constrained reservoir geometries with Global Positioning System (GPS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar displacements. Inverting high-rate GPS and borehole tilt time series recovered time-dependent reservoir pressure changes and caldera ring fault shear stress. During the collapse sequence, the HMM reservoir accommodated episodic, co-collapse pressure increases of 1.9 MPa (median) and a net 5.8 MPa (median) decrease. Simultaneously, the SC reservoir underwent monotonic depressurization of 6.7 MPa (median). Negligible co-collapse pressure changes in the SC reservoir imply it was not exclusively supplying magma to the eruption vent. These results provide a coherent view of magma reservoir pressure evolution during the 2018 eruption.

Hawaii↗

USGS2026

EMIT reveals elevated calcite signatures in shorelines of Lake Powell and Lake Mead exposed by drought and Colorado River management

Nearly half of Earth’s seasonal freshwater storage variability occurs in human-managed reservoirs, resulting in large areas of reservoir-bed that are episodically inundated or subaerially exposed. Here we use hyperspectral data from NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission to map calcite mineral assemblages across exposed surfaces in two large U.S. reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Results show distinct patterns in the occurrence of carbonate, clay, and mica minerals. Reservoir-deposited sediments exhibited significantly higher calcite proportions than adjacent, lithologically similar, non-inundated terrestrial surfaces. These differences likely reflect hydrologically-driven calcite precipitation, wherein warm, clear, productive reservoir waters drive calcium carbonate out of solution. We also detect reductions in calcite proportions in areas of the shoreline disturbed by human recreation. EMIT's imaging capabilities enable rapid, high-resolution mineralogical inventories across vast areas where field sampling is infeasible. We find EMIT is a scalable tool for monitoring geochemical changes associated with large water level fluctuations.

Arizona, Nevada, Utah↗

USGS2026

First application of a coastal-dune model (AeoLiS) to simulate fluvial-aeolian morphodynamics

Quantifying aeolian processes is important to decision-making in river management and for optimizing strategies for ecosystem conservation, natural resource management, and recreation. We applied the AeoLiS aeolian transport model, originally developed for coastal environments, to a dryland river corridor to evaluate its ability to simulate sediment dynamics in a fluvial-aeolian system. The model reproduced spatial and temporal patterns of geomorphic change at a Grand Canyon sandbar, including aeolian dune formation, observed in field data. The model effectively captured trends in observed sediment movement in the spring and summer months. Thus, despite assuming a single grain-size, static vegetation, and not directly accounting for variable sediment supply from fluvial sources, the model performs well at capturing aeolian processes in a complex fluvial-aeolian system. AeoLiS demonstrates strong potential for dryland river applications and management, due to its flexibility and compatibility with coupled modeling frameworks.

Arizona↗