Geology topics
Research about southern California
Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including southern California.
Influence of static stress changes on earthquake locations in southern California
Earthquakes induce changes in static stress on neighbouring faults that may delay, hasten or even trigger subsequent earthquakes 1–10 . The length of time over which such effects persist has a bearing on the potential contribution of stress analyses to earthquake hazard assessment, but is presently unknown. Here we use an elastic half-space model 11 to estimate the static stress changes generated by damaging (magnitude M ≥5) earthquakes in southern California over the past 26 years, and to investigate the influence of these changes on subsequent earthquake activity. We find that, in the 1.5-year period following a M ≥5 earthquake, any subsequent nearby M ≥5 earthquake almost always ruptures a fault that is loaded towards failure by the first earthquake. After this period, damaging earthquakes are equally likely to rupture loaded and relaxed faults. Our results suggest that there is a short period of time following a damaging earthquake in southern California in which simple Coulomb failure stress models could be used to identify regions of increased seismic hazard.
Changes in static stress on southern California faults after the 1992 Landers earthquake
The magnitude 7.5 Landers earthquake of 28 June 1992 was the largest earthquake to strike California in 40 years. The slip that occurs in such an earthquake would be expected to induce large changes in the static stress on neighbouring faults; these changes in stress should in turn affect the likelihood of future earthquakes. Stress changes that load faults towards failure have been cited as the cause of small 1–5 , moderate 6 and large 7 earthquakes; conversely, those that relax neighbouring faults have been related to a decrease in seismicity 5 . Here we use an elastic half-space model 8 to estimate the stress changes produced by the Landers earthquake on selected southern California faults, including the San Andreas. We find that the estimated stress changes are consistent with the triggering of four out of the five aftershocks with magnitude greater than 4.5, and that the largest changes (1–10 bar), occurring on part of the San Bernardino segment of the San Andreas fault, may have decreased the time to the next magnitude 8 earthquake by about 14 years.
The Richter scale: its development and use for determining earthquake source parameters
The M L scale, introduced by Richter in 1935, is the antecedent of every magnitude scale in use today. The scale is defined such that a magnitude-3 earthquake recorded on a Wood-Anderson torsion seismometer at a distance of 100 km would write a record with a peak excursion of 1 mm. To be useful, some means are needed to correct recordings to the standard distance of 100 km. Richter provides a table of correction values, which he terms -log A o , the latest of which is contained in his 1958 textbook. A new analysis of over 9000 readings from almost 1000 earthquakes in the southern California region was recently completed to redetermine the -log A o values. Although some systematic differences were found between this analysis and Richter's values (such that using Richter's values would lead to under and overestimates of M L at distances less than 40 km and greater than 200 km, respectively), the accuracy of his values is remarkable in view of the small number of data used in their determination. Richter's corrections for the distance attenuation of the peak amplitudes on Wood-Anderson seismographs apply only to the southern California region, of course, and should not be used in other areas without first checking to make sure that they are applicable. Often in the past this has not been done, but recently a number of papers have been published determining the corrections for other areas. If there are significant differences in the attenuation within 100 km between regions, then the definition of the magnitude at 100 km could lead to difficulty in comparing the sizes of earthquakes in various parts of the world. To alleviate this, it is proposed that the scale be defined such that a magnitude 3 corresponds to 10 mm of motion at 17 km. This is consistent both with Richter's definition of M L at 100 km and with the newly determined distance corrections in the southern California region. Aside from the obvious (and original) use as a means of cataloguing earthquakes according to size, ML has been used in predictions of ground shaking as a function of distance and magnitude; it has also been used in estimating energy and seismic moment. There is a good correlation of peak ground velocity and the peak motion on a Wood-Anderson instrument at the same location, as well as an observationally defined (and theoretically predicted) nonlinear relation between M L and seismic moment. An important byproduct of the establishment of the M L scale is the continuous operation of the network of Wood-Anderson seismographs on which the scale is based. The records from these instruments can be used to make relative comparisons of amplitudes and waveforms of recent and historic earthquakes; furthermore, because of the moderate gain, the instruments can write onscale records from great earthquakes at teleseismic distances and thus can provide important information about the energy radiated from such earthquakes at frequencies where many instruments have saturated.
Correlation of changes in gravity, elevation, and strain in southern California
Measurements made once or twice a year from 1977 through 1982 show large correlated changes in gravity, elevation, and strain in several southern California networks. Precise gravity surveys indicate changes of as much as 25 microgals between surveys 6 months apart. Repeated surveys show that annual elevation changes as large as 100 millimeters occur along baselines 40 to 100 kilometers long. Laser-ranging surveys reveal coherent changes in areal strain of 1 to 2 parts per million occurred over much of southern California during 1978 and 1979. Although the precision of these measuring systems has been questioned, the rather good agreement among them suggests that the observed changes reflect true crustal deformation.
A summary report of the regional geology, petroleum potential, environmental geology, and operational considerations in the area of proposed lease sale No. 68, offshore southern California
This report reviews geological, geophysical and technological data that are pertinent to proposed OCS Lease Sale 68. Under consideration are 26,000 mi 2 (67,400 km 2 ) of the California Continental Borderland north of the U.S.-Mexico boundary. The area includes both leased and unleased tracts and lies adjacent to the highly productive coastal basins of southern California. Factors that have contributed to petroleum generation in the onshore basins, such as thickness, burial depth and hydrocarbon content, are less favorable in parts of the offshore region. Nevertheless, regional geologic and geophysical mapping together with data from stratigraphic test wells and bottom samples suggest that source beds, reservoir rocks and traps are present beneath the borderland. Strata of Miocene age are widespread within the area of proposed OCS Lease Sale 68 and contain fair to excellent potential source rocks. Eocene and early Miocene sandstone beds in the Cortes Bank test well and late Miocene and Pliocene rocks in the Point Conception test well have porosities that are within the range of good reservoir rocks. Late middle Miocene through Pliocene sandy turbidites of reservoir quality possibly occur in some outer borderland basins. Additional prospective targets are fractured Miocene shale beds that may be present in the deeper basins and on the down-flank margins of major uplifts. Numerous structural and stratigraphic traps, which formed in response to late Cenozoic wrench tectonics, are distributed throughout the borderland.
Water-level monitoring along San Andreas and San Jacinto faults, southern California, during fiscal year 1980
Beginning in October 1976, a program of water-level monitoring of abandoned water wells was initiated in the Palmdale area with the purpose of identifying possible water-level changes premonitory to a major earthquake on the San Andreas fault. In October 1977, the program was extended southeastward along the rift zone to the Valyermo area. In November 1977, the monitoring of water wells along the San Jacinto fault was initiated with the expectation of experiencing a moderate size earthquake while monitoring was in progress. Currently over thirty wells are being monitored. Eleven wells are monitored continuously with Stevens Type F recorders, two of which have been modified to operate with the Caltech Remote Observatory Support Systems (TIMS). The remaining wells are probed weekly, or in some cases semi-weekly or daily, by volunteers. We are endeavoring to improve the volunteer program by increasing the frequency of measurements and simplifying the procedure to minimize measurement errors. Weekly water-level data are displayed on computer-generated hydrographs for each well. Rainfall and earthquakes are plotted on the graphs for direct comparison with water levels. The hydrographs are updated and reviewed weekly. Weekly hydrographs are also prepared from recorder charts on two wells maintained by W. R. Moyle, Jr., of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division Office, Laguna Niguel, California. A M5.5 earthquake occurred on 25 February 1980, between the Buck Ridge and San Jacinto strands of the San Jacinto fault zone, about 8 miles east-southeast of Anza. This is the largest earthquake which has occurred on the faults within our monitoring network. The Stevens recorder chart for well number 11S/6E-3N4 located in Borrego Valley about 20 miles southeast of the epicenter indicates that, during a period of about four hours on 21 February, the water level rose 1.5 to 1.6 feet and returned to its prior level. This is one of the most remarkable short-term water-level fluctuations observed during our monitoring program; it occurred about 88 hours prior to the earthquake. This well has been monitored since October 1977 and has had a Stevens recorder since October 1978. Long-term water levels have been remarkably steady compared to those in other wells we are monitoring. This well shows a strong response to earth tides. The Stevens record on a second well in Borrego Valley (11S/6E-1C1) showed a much smaller (0.1 foot) spike in water level at the same time as the spike in well number 11S/6E-3N4. Other continuously recording wells in Anza and Ocotillo Wells showed no identifiable water-level anomalies. The two wells in Borrego Valley which showed possible strain-induced water-level spikes appear to be more sensitive to earth tides than wells in the same area which did not show spikes in water level. We cannot conceive of any nontectonic cause for the spike on the Stevens record of well 11S/6E3N4. A creep event on the Coyote Creek fault about four miles from the well is one possibility. Because the spikes in the two wells in Borrego Valley are unique for the long-term record of these wells, they may represent precursors to the 25 February earthquake. Local seismic activity was also recorded in water levels of the two wells in Borrego Springs with continuous water-level recorders. One well showed peculiar high frequency water-level fluctuations from 22 July to 21 August 1980; since then the record has appeared normal. Several wells in the Palmdale-Valyermo area have shown peculiar changes in water level within the past year or so. The long-term hydrograph of well number 5N/12W-4H1 shows the most unusual behavior. The well showed no response to the 1977 and very heavy 1978 rainstorms, yet began to rise in early 1979 and continued to rise through the dry season of 1979. By comparison, most wells show a more normal seasonal response to rainfall. Eight wells in the Palmdale-Valyermo area have shown water-level changes which are different than would have been predicted from the previous history of water-level changes and seasonal rainfall. A longer period of observation is required to determine whether the changes are anomalous. Changes in the strain pattern and other geophysical phenomena have also been observed in southern California during about the same period as the water-level changes. If the water-level changes are the result of tectonic strain, the mechanism and significance are unknown. However, it is interesting that five of the eight wells with possibly anomalous water-level changes have been identified as good strain meters based on their response to earth tides. Six wells showing an unexpected rise in water level are located west of the earthquake swarm which occurred in 1976-1977 (McNally et al, 1978), whereas the two which show water levels lower than would have been predicted are located east of the earthquake swarm.
Early 20th-century uplift of the northern Peninsular Ranges province of southern California
Repeated leveling in the northern Peninsular Ranges province identifies an early 20thcentury episode of crustal upwarping in southern California. The episodic vertical movement is broadly bracketed between 1897 and 1934, and the main deformation is bracketed within 1906–1914 and involved regional up-to-the-northeast tilting of the Santa Ana block of as much as 4 · 10 −6 rad and elevation changes exceeding 0.4 m in the Perris block and parts of the San Jacinto block, Transverse Ranges, and the Mohave block. Primary tide station records containing occasional entries since 1853 at San Pedro and San Diego show no evidence of episodic crustal movement, suggesting that the uplifted area hinged along coastal fault zones forming the west boundary of the Santa Ana block. Physiographic features and recent studies of Quaternary marine terraces by others show that this episode of regional tilting and uplift is a part of the continuing tectonic process in southern California. A crude, questionable coincidence exists between the uplift episode and a period of increased seismicity (1890–1923) in the northern Peninsular Ranges characterized by a number of moderate-size ( M > 6) earthquakes on NW-trending strike-slip faults. However, releveling data are too sparse to associate the uplift development clearly with any one event.
Initiation and development of the southern California uplift along its northern margin
Analysis of three first-order leveling lines that traverse the White Wolf fault (site of the 1952 M = 7.7 earthquake), each resurveyed nine times between 1926 and 1974, reveals probable preseismic tilting, major coseismic movements, and a spatial association between these movements and the subsequently recognized southern California uplift. In examining the vertical control record, we have both searched for evidence of systematic errors and excluded from consideration portions of the lines contaminated by subsurface fluid and gas extraction. Movements have been referred to an invariant datum based on the 1926 position of tidal BM 8 in San Pedro, corrected for subsequent eustatic sea-level change. An 8 μrad up-to-the-north preseismic tilt (6 cm/7.5 km) was apparently recorded on two adjacent line segments within 10 km of the 1952 epicenter between 1942 and 1947. It is possible, however, that this tilt was in part caused by extraction-induced subsidence at one of the six releveled benchmarks. Data also show evidence of episodic tilts that are not earthquake related. At the junction of the Garlock and San Andreas faults, for example, an ≥5 μrad up-to-the-north tilt (7.2 cm/≤16 km) took place between Lebec and Grapevine within three months during 1964. Comparison of the 1947 and 1953 surveys, which includes the coseismic interval, shows that the SW-fault end (nearest the epicenter) and the central fault reach sustained four times the uplift recorded at the NE end of the fault (+72 cm SW, +53 cm Central, +16 cm NE). A regional postseismic uplift of 4 cm extended ≥25 km to either side of the fault after the main event, from 1953 to 1956. An interval of relative quiescence followed at least through 1959, in which the elevation change did not exceed ±3 cm. The detailed pattern of aseismic uplift demonstrates that movement proceeded in space—time pulses: one half of the uplift at the SW-fault end and extending southward occurred between 1959 and 1961, one half of the uplift at the NE-fault end and extending eastward occurred between 1961 and 1965, while the central fault reach sustained successive pulses of subsidence, uplift, and collapse (−4 cm, 1953–1960; +7 cm, 1960–1965; −2 cm, 1965–1970). In addition, the number of aftershocks concentrated near the fault ends increased in the NE relative to the SW from 1952 to 1974. These observations suggest that the aseismic uplift may have migrated northeastward from 1959 to 1965 at an approximate rate of 7–16 km/yr. Evidence for a mechanical coupling between the earthquake and the subsequent aseismic uplift is equivocal. At both fault ends, the major NWbounding flexure or tilted front of the southern California uplift is spatially coincident with the coseismic flexure that preceded it. In addition, the postulated migration of vertical deformation is similar to the 1952 seismic event in which the rupture initiated at the SW end of the fault and then propagated to the NE-fault end. However, the spatial distribution of aseismic uplift, nearly identical at both fault ends and to the south and east, and near zero in the central fault reach, is distinctly different from the nonuniform and localized coseismic deformation.
Strain in southern California: Measured uniaxial north-south regional contraction
The plate tectonics model of the Pacific moving northwest relative to North America implies that the regional strain in California should be simple shear across a vertical plane striking N45°W or equivalently equal parts of north-south contraction and east-west extension. Measurements of the strain accumulation at seven separate sites in southern California in the interval 1972 through 1978 indicate a remarkably consistent uniaxial north-south contraction of about 0.3 part per million per year; the expected east-west extension is absent. It is not clear whether the period from 1972 through 1978 is anomalous or whether the secular strain in southern California is indeed a uniaxial north-south contraction.
Preliminary catalog of earthquakes in southern California, October 1976-September 1977
There has been a continuing demand on the part of many persons, institutions, commercial companies, government agencies, and so forth for up-to-date maps and tables of earthquakes in southern California. Unfortunately, final catalogs of earthquakes such as Hileman and others (1973), Hill and others (1975a), and Friedman and others (1976) lag in publication as long as two years beyond the end of the recording periods which they cover, owing to the time-consuming process of re-reading seismograms to improve earthquake locations. It is, thus, the intent of this report to make public a preliminary version of the catalog(s) that will cover the period October 1976 -September 1977. This catalog is similar to that of Fuis and others (1977) which covers a prior period of time from June 1974 -September 1976. The three most serious problems with this catalog are 1) incomplete reporting of earthquake magnitudes, 2) use of more than one crustal model for locating earthquakes in a given area, and 3) inclusion of blasts. These problems will be corrected for the final catalog(s), but we felt that they should not hold up release of this preliminary catalog.
Batholith and associated rocks of Corona, Elsinore, and San Luis Rey quadrangles southern California
The batholith of Southern and Lower California is exposed continuously from near Riverside, California, southward for a distance of about 350 miles. In central Lower California it is covered in part by younger rocks, but discontinuous bodies extend to the southern end of Lower California, and hence the batholith is probably over 1000 miles long. Its width is about 60 miles. A strip across the northern part of the batholith about 70 miles wide has been studied; the western half was mapped in detail, and the eastern half was covered in rapid reconnaissance. In the area studied the batholith intrudes Triassic sediments and Jurassic(?) volcanic rocks along its western border and Paleozoic sediments along its eastern border. Screens and roof pendants are common within the batholith. The Triassic rocks are mildly metamorphosed in the western part of the area but become progressively more coarsely crystalline toward the east. The Paleozoic rocks are rather coarsely crystalline. The metamorphism in large part preceded the intrusion of the batholith, and only locally was there appreciable contact metamorphism. The batholith and older rocks are overlain by Upper Cretaceous and younger sediments. Small bodies of andesite and basalt are associated with the Tertiary sediments, and small bodies of nepheline basalt of Quaternary age are present in the area. The batholith was intruded in early Upper Cretaceous time. The batholith in the area studied was emplaced by over 20 separate injections. Most of the resulting rock types are found in only one or a few small bodies which are confined to a small area. In the area studied in detail (Pl. 1) five types are present in many large, widely separated bodies, making up about 88 per cent of the area underlain by the batholith. In the eastern half of the batholith three more widespread types are present. In the western half of the body the rocks range fro a gabbro to granite, but in the eastern half several tonalites constitute nearly the whole of the mass. The gabbro is composed of many related rocks. Some have hornblende, some pyroxene; in some the plagioclase is anorthite, in others it is as sodic as andesine-Iabradorite. Some of the tonalites contain abundant inclusions that have been almost completely reworked by the magma and have been softened and stretched into thin discs. These inclusions are well oriented and near the contacts with older rocks they parallel the contacts, but elsewhere they strike about N. 30° W. and dip steeply to the east. One tonalite, whose feldspar is andesine, has scattered crystals with cores of bytownite, and has well-crystallized hornblende with cores of pale uralitic hornblende and remnants of augite. Hornblende and biotite are the predominant mafic minerals of the tonalites and granodiorites. The iron content of the mafic minerals of the gabbros is moderate, and it increases as the rocks become richer in silica. The norms and the modes are shown on a variation diagram (Figs. 11, 12). The chemical analyses of the rocks fall near smooth variation curves (Fig. 4). The general strike of the structures of the area have been about N. 30° W. from Paleozoic to the present time. The Paleozoic and Triassic sediments, the orientation of the inclusions and other structures of the batholith, the elongation of the batholith and the mountain ranges, and the strike of the major faults are in about the same direction. In the batholith and the older sediments the dips are steep to the east. The batholith must have been emplaced by stoping and not by forceful injection. Calculations show that the cooling of a large batholith is chiefly through the roof and not through the walls. Crystallization to a depth of 3 kilometers takes place in about half a million years. The different rocks of the batholith were formed from the intermediate gabbro by crystal differentiation and assimilation in depth. In early Upper Cretaceous time diastrophism folded the older rocks and formed, in depth, a strip of gabbroic magma about 1000 miles long. A small amount of this magma was intruded nearly to the surface. The deep magma differentiated quietly until its upper part attained the composition of a tonalite. Earth movements then occurred at least five times in rapid succession and caused the injection of the different tonalites. Some of these carry abundant inclusions, indicating a widespread shattering of the wall rock shortly before final emplacement. From time to time local movements caused the injections of the different granodiorites. When the deep-seated magma reached the composition of a light-colored granodiorite, widespread diastrophism moved the main granodiorite upward. Further local movement caused the emplacement of the many local granodiorites and granites.
Radioactivity of the rocks of the batholith of southern California
Determination of radioactivity has been made on 43 rocks, carefully selected from the different mapped units of the complex Cretaceous batholith of Southern California; they range from gabbro to granite. The activity of the gabbro averages about 0.3 alphas/mg./hr., that of the tonalites, 0.8, the granodiorite 1.3, and the granites over 2.0. The activity of the average rock of the batholith is about 0.9 alphas/mg./hr. Most of the rocks have been analyzed, and modal compositions are given. The radioactivity and the percentages of K 2 O, SiO 2 and PbO are plotted on a variation diagram. The variation curve for activity nearly parallels that for K 2 O, and the ratio of activity to K 2 O is about 0.5. The radioactivities of some rocks fall far from the variation curve, and degree of activity correlates with K 2 O content. A less-marked correlation between activity SiO 2 and PbO was also noted. The K 2 O, SiO 2 , PbO, and radioactivity concentrate in the residual liquid during crystallization and differentiation. PbO follows K 2 O closely, as it is concentrated in the K 2 O minerals, but radioactivity is very low in the K 2 O minerals and is greatly concentrated in the accessory minerals.