Late Pleistocene regional extension rate derived from earthquake geology of late Quaternary faults across the Great Basin, Nevada, between 38.5 N and 40 N latitude

Abstract

Maps showing Quaternary deposits and active fault traces, paleoseismic trenches, scarp diffusion analyses, and soil characteristics in displaced alluvial surfaces are combined with previous paleoseismic studies to examine the character of late Pleistocene earthquake recurrence and estimate the net extension rate across the interior of the Great Basin of the western United States at the latitude of ~39°N. The study area includes faults bounding the Desatoya, Toiyabe, Moni tor, Simpson Park, Toquima, Antelope, Fish Creek, Butte, Egan, and Schell Creek Ranges. The rate of earthquake recurrence is documented to be signifi cantly less than observed within the Walker Lane-Central Nevada seismic belt and along the Wasatch, which respectively defi ne the western and eastern bound aries of the interior of the Great Basin. Late Pleistocene extension across the interior of the Great Basin is calculated to equal ~1 mm/yr across the 450 km transect and is consistent with rates defi ned by recent geodetic studies. The agreement in extension rate estimates over different time scales indicates that tectonic deformation in the Great Basin has been characterized by relatively slow and consistent extension through the late Pleistocene to the present. The internal deformation of the Great Basin and the pattern of strain release may refl ect a broad transition zone from northwest-directed shear in the west to extension along the eastern edge of the Pacifi c-North American plate boundary. Downloaded from System's catalog (http://quake.geo.berkeley.edu/anss/catalog-search.html). Faults are from Dohernwend et al. (1996) and the Fault and Fold Database of the U.S. Geological Survey (Haller et al., 2004: http://qfaults.cr.usgs.gov). Plate motion velocity vector is from DeMets and Dixon (1999). Approximate boundaries of provinces within the Great Basin were taken from Bennett et al. (2003). (B) Location of normal fault-bounded mountain ranges within the Great Basin that are the focus of this study. Also indicated are mountain ranges referred to in the text. Faults were taken from the Fault and Fold Database of the U.S. Geological Survey (Haller et al., 2004: http://qfaults.cr.usgs.gov). White stars are permanent global positioning system (GPS) monuments recently installed as part of the EarthScope element of the Plate Boundary Observatory project. Black arrows are crustal velocity vectors modifi ed from Hammond and Thatcher (2004). U.S. Highway 50 and Highway 6 are shown in black. EF-East Gate fault; CA-Clan Alpine Range; DES-Desatoya Range; TOI-Toiyabe Range; TOQ-Toquima Range; SP-Simpson Park Mountains; M-Monitor Range; A-Antelope Range; FC-Fish Creek Range; D-Diamond Range; P-Pancake Range; WP-White Pine Range; G-Grant Range; B-Butte Range; E-Egan Range; SE-South Egan Range; SC-Schell Creek Range; S-Snake Range.

Late Quaternary slip rates for faults of the central Walker Lane (Nevada, USA): Spatiotemporal strain release in a strike-slip fault system

“…Alluvial fan formations are divided into three general units ( Fig. 2; Qfo-Middle to Late Pleistocene; Qfi-Late Pleistocene; Qfy-Holocene), primarily based on variations in surficial characteristics (e.g., degree of incision, breadth and shape of interfluves, and desert pavement development) following prior methods and general age delineations commonly applied to the region (Bull, 2008;Bell et al, 2004;Wesnousky, 2005a;Frankel et al, 2007a;Koehler and Wesnousky, 2011;Wesnousky and Caffee, 2011;Li et al, 2017). Descriptions of the mapped formations are provided in Supplemental Item A 1 .…”

The Egiin Davaa prehistoric rupture, central Mongolia: a large magnitude normal faulting earthquake on a reactivated fault with little cumulative slip located in a slowly deforming intraplate setting

“…Analysis of the relative elevations of fault scarps cutting poorly consolidated sediments has been widely used to estimate fault rupture ages (Mattson & Bruhn 2001;Phillips et al 2003;Spelz et al 2008;Hilley et al 2010;Koehler & Wesnousky 2011). Normal fault scarps of the Basin and Range Province in the USA were noted to have gentler slopes on older scarps than on those resulting from more recent events (Wallace 1977).…”

Characterizing the Quaternary expression of active faulting along the Olinghouse, Carson, and Wabuska lineaments of the Walker Lane

“…At the regional scale, mapped Quaternary deposits are broadly divided between lacustrine, eolian, flood plain, basin fill, and three mapped alluvial fan units; the subdivisions of the latter are based principally on variations in surficial characteristics, including the degree of dissection, elevation above modern stream grade, and tonal and textural differences observed in the field and on air photos and lidar images. The basis of this approach was described by Bull (1991), and has been used in various studies in this region (e.g., Bell et al, 2004;Wesnousky, 2005a;Koehler and Wesnousky, 2011;Sarmiento et al, 2011;Wesnousky and Caffee, 2011), and has more recently been adapted for lidar-based mapping of alluvial fan deposits (e.g., Frankel et al, 2007aFrankel et al, , 2007b. For specific sites of study, the alluvial fan units are further subdivided to describe in better detail the character of faulting.…”

“…6D) revealed a strongly developed argillic B-horizon underlain by stage 4 carbonate horizon approaching 1 m in thickness. This amount of soil development requires that the fan surface has been stable since the mid-Pleisto cene (e.g., Frankel et al, 2007aFrankel et al, , 2007bKoehler and Wesnousky, 2011). The trace 1 scarp bounding this surface on the southeast was likely modified by the shoreline processes.…”