Seismic reflection-based evidence of a transfer zone between the Wagner and Consag basins: implications for defining the structural geometry of the northern Gulf of California

González-Escobar, Mario; Suárez-Vidal, Francisco; Hernández-Pérez, José Antonio; Martín‐Barajas, Arturo

doi:10.1007/s00367-010-0204-0

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Seismicity is high in this region919, and focal mechanisms are mainly strike-slip and dip-slip, which are consistent with the extension character of the basins and the transform faults of the Cerro Prieto system. The earthquakes recorded between 1973 and 2009 show that significant seismic activity occurs along the main faults on the borders of the basins9.…”

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confidence: 74%

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High heat flow and ocean acidification at a nascent rift in the northern Gulf of California

et al. 2013

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The prevailing tectonic setting in the Gulf California suggests the presence of an undetermined number of short spreading centres with associated hydrothermal systems. However, to date, active seafloor spreading phenomena have been documented in only three of the eight tectonically active basins. Here we report heat flow values as high as 15,436 mW m−2 in two of the northernmost basins of the Gulf of California, providing evidence of intense hydrothermal activity associated with the transition from continental rifting to seafloor spreading. The mean heat flow for the Wagner and Consag basins area is 1,875 mW m−2, more than 15 times higher than the mean value for oceanic crust (105.4 mW m−2). Additional evidence for vigorous hydrothermal circulation and a shallow heat source includes intense gas discharge (CO2 and CH4), widespread low pH (average 7.7), locally high 222Rn concentrations in the bottom water and a high extent of organic matter maturation in the sediments.

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confidence: 74%

“…In the Wagner basin, the sediment thickness is greater than 7 km, which impedes the rise of magma generated by seafloor spreading; this hindrance, in turn, masks any visible evidence of rifting9. Consequently, heat flow anomalies are the only indication of nascent spreading centres in the sediment-covered basins10.…”

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confidence: 99%

High heat flow and ocean acidification at a nascent rift in the northern Gulf of California

et al. 2013

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“…This seismicity also serves to define outline basins in the northern Gulf of California. As can be seen (Figure 5), the seismicity diminishes towards the Wagner and Consag Basins as a result of the stress relaxation within the area (Persaud et al 2003;González-Escobar et al 2010). These authors define the region as a transfer zone.…”

Section: Seismic Activitymentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Prol-Ledesma et al (2013) report very high heat flow: 1875 mWm −2 ,~15 times higher than the average for young oceanic crust (~105 mWm 2 ), although such high heat flow must be in a geothermal area and is not appropriate to compare to a regional heat flow. González-Escobar et al (2010) have shown evidence of a transfer zone between the Wagner and Consag Basins. This characteristic is absent in the Upper Delfín and Lower Delfín Basins.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Thus, a bathymetric model can be used as a first approach to define the basins' geometry, which underpins the present study. The Consag Basin is a narrow zone of deformation (González-Escobar et al 2010), which contrasts with the Upper Delfín Basin with a wider zone of deformation. Consequently, the bathymetric expression of these two basins does not define the entire structural geometry due to the thick sedimentary cover.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Consag Basin: northern Gulf of California, evidence of generation of new crust, based on seismic reflection data

González-Escobar

Suárez-Vidal

Sojo-Amezquita

et al. 2014

International Geology Review

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The Gulf of California is an excellent example of how new ocean basins form. Tectonically, the northern Gulf of California is an incipient ocean basin and studies on it have defined acoustic basement and reveal the presence of new oceanic crust and intrusive bodies. Some recent studies report fundamental differences between the basins of the northern and southern Gulf of California: that the latter have well-developed oceanic crust beneath a thin cover of sediments, whereas the northern basins show proto-ocean basins, which may reflect thermal insulation of the thick sedimentary cover, the presence of lowangle faults, and more diffuse and distributed deformation. During the 1970s, Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) undertook a 2D seismic reflection survey in the northern Gulf of California, over many active rift basins, including the Consag Basin. Through the processing and interpretation of these data, we describe the structural characteristics of the Consag Basin beyond 2 km depths. Using seismic reflection data, we identified an intrusion in the central part of this basin that may represent new oceanic crust buried by more than 4 km of sediments.

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The 2010 M w 7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah Earthquake Sequence, Baja California, Mexico and Southernmost California, USA: Active Seismotectonics along the Mexican Pacific Margin

Hauksson

Stock

Hutton

et al. 2010

Pure Appl. Geophys.

115

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The El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake sequence started with a few foreshocks in March 2010, and a second sequence of 15 foreshocks of M [ 2 (up to M4.4) that occurred during the 24 h preceding the mainshock. The foreshocks occurred along a northsouth trend near the mainshock epicenter. The M w 7.2 mainshock on April 4 exhibited complex faulting, possibly starting with a *M6 normal faulting event, followed *15 s later by the main event, which included simultaneous normal and right-lateral strikeslip faulting. The aftershock zone extends for 120 km from the south end of the Elsinore fault zone north of the US-Mexico border almost to the northern tip of the Gulf of California. The waveformrelocated aftershocks form two abutting clusters, each about 50 km long, as well as a 10 km north-south aftershock zone just north of the epicenter of the mainshock. Even though the Baja California data are included, the magnitude of completeness and the hypocentral errors increase gradually with distance south of the international border. The spatial distribution of large aftershocks is asymmetric with five M5? aftershocks located to the south of the mainshock, and only one M5.7 aftershock, but numerous smaller aftershocks to the north. Further, the northwest aftershock cluster exhibits complex faulting on both northwest and northeast planes. Thus, the aftershocks also express a complex pattern of stress release along strike. The overall rate of decay of the aftershocks is similar to the rate of decay of a generic California aftershock sequence. In addition, some triggered seismicity was recorded along the Elsinore and San Jacinto faults to the north, but significant northward migration of aftershocks has not occurred. The synthesis of the El Mayor-Cucapah sequence reveals transtensional regional tectonics, including the westward growth of the Mexicali Valley and the transfer of Pacific-North America plate motion from the Gulf of California in the south into the southernmost San Andreas fault system to the north. We propose that the location of the 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah, as well as the 1992 Landers and 1999 Hector Mine earthquakes, may have been controlled by the bends in the plate boundary.

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Seismic reflection-based evidence of a transfer zone between the Wagner and Consag basins: implications for defining the structural geometry of the northern Gulf of California

Cited by 12 publications

References 13 publications

High heat flow and ocean acidification at a nascent rift in the northern Gulf of California

High heat flow and ocean acidification at a nascent rift in the northern Gulf of California

Consag Basin: northern Gulf of California, evidence of generation of new crust, based on seismic reflection data

The 2010 M w 7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah Earthquake Sequence, Baja California, Mexico and Southernmost California, USA: Active Seismotectonics along the Mexican Pacific Margin

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