A revised position for the primary strand of the Pleistocene-Holocene San Andreas fault in southern California
The San Andreas fault has the highest calculated time-dependent probability for large-magnitude earthquakes in southern California. However, where the fault is multistranded east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, it has been uncertain which strand has the fastest slip rate and, therefore, which has the highest probability of a destructive earthquake. Reconstruction of offset Pleistocene-Holocene landforms dated using the uranium-thorium soil carbonate and beryllium-10 surface exposure techniques indicates slip rates of 24.1 ± 3 millimeter per year for the San Andreas fault, with 21.6 ± 2 and 2.5 ± 1 millimeters per year for the Mission Creek and Banning strands, respectively. These data establish the Mission Creek strand as the primary fault bounding the Pacific and North American plates at this latitude and imply that 6 to 9 meters of elastic strain has accumulated along the fault since the most recent surface-rupturing earthquake, highlighting the potential for large earthquakes along this strand.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2021 |
---|---|
Title | A revised position for the primary strand of the Pleistocene-Holocene San Andreas fault in southern California |
DOI | 10.1126/sciadv.aaz5691 |
Authors | Kim Blisniuk, Katherine Scharer, Warren Sharp, Roland Burgmann, Colin Amos, Michael Rymer |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Science Advances |
Index ID | 70236718 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Earthquake Science Center |