The seismicity of Nevada and some adjacent parts of the Great Basin

Modern strain localization in the central Walker Lane, western United States: Implications for the evolution of intraplate deformation in transtensional settings

“…The Schurz earthquake of 1959, the only significant historical seismic event near the Wassuk Range, displayed oblique normal-dextral fault motion (e.g., Rogers et al, 1991) and was located along strike of the dextral strike-slip faults to the southeast (Fig. 5), in a position close to the boundary between dextral-dominated and extension-dominated deformation proposed by Wesnousky (2005b).…”

“…However, a significant 1933 earthquake of unknown displacement affected the area adjacent to Yerington ( Fig. 5A; e.g., Rogers et al, 1991). Thus, despite no evidence for Holocene movement on the Singatse range front fault (Fig.…”

“…5A; e.g., Rogers et al, 1991). In the western section of the Walker Lake domain, fault-slip indicators (e.g., Zoback, 1989;Surpless, 1999), wellpreserved fault scarp morphology, and paleoseismic studies (e.g., Ramelli et al, 1999;Demsey, 1987) suggest that the Genoa fault and the range-bounding fault on the east flank of the Wassuk Range ( Fig.…”

“…5;Doser, 1986), and further to the north in the CNSB, the 1954 Dixie Valley and 1915 Pleasant Valley earthquakes produced primarily normal, dip-slip fault motion along north to north-northeast striking fault planes (e.g., Doser, 1986;Rogers et al, 1991;Caskey et al, 1996). This transition from nearly pure strike-slip deformation within the eastern section of the Walker Lane to pure normal deformation in the northern CNSB might suggest that some component of dextral deformation documented in the Walker Lane to the south is presently transferred to steeply-dipping mapped normal faults of the central Basin and Range (e.g., Wesnousky, 2005b), with dextral motion decreasing with increasing distance from the Walker Lane.…”

Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the central Wassuk Range, western Nevada, USA

“…Calculations based on thermochoronologic data suggest 2.5 +/-0.5 km of dip slip offset along the range front fault system since about 4 Ma . Recent movement along faults of the range front system is recorded in the rugged topography of the range and historic seismicity in the area (e.g., Rogers et al, 1991). Other, apparently inactive, high angle (>50) faults between the Grey Hills, Buck Brush Spring, and Wassuk blocks display only minor offsets (Fig.…”