Earthquake cycle on the Ballenas Fault, Central Gulf of California, MX
Abstract
South of the San Andreas Fault system, ~90% of the North America/Pacific plate motion is accommodate along the Gulf of California. Here the plate boundary deformation is partitioned in deep basins, often resulting in formation of new oceanic crust, connected by long transform faults. In the central part of the Gulf, one of these transform fault, the Ballenas fault, is localized in the Canales de Ballenas, a ~30 km wide channel between Isla Angel de la Garda and mainland Baja California. The presence of land on both the sides of this marine transform fault give the unique opportunity to perform geodetic study across its trace. On August 3rd 2009, a series of seismic strike slip events (including a M6.9) happened along this segment of plate boundary allowing a combined study of co- and inter- seismic deformation. Here we present the results from 5 years of EGPS along two transects perpendicular to the plate motion direction at 29 and 28 degrees North. These surveys include at least 3 occupations before the seismic event and at least 1 occupation after the earthquake. The analysis of the inter-seismic data shows that ~46 mm/yr is accommodated within the Canales de Ballenas. Co-seismic data are being collected at the time of the deadline for this abstract and will be presented at the meeting in combination with InSar signal.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFM.G23B0689M
- Keywords:
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- 1209 GEODESY AND GRAVITY / Tectonic deformation;
- 1242 GEODESY AND GRAVITY / Seismic cycle related deformations;
- 8106 TECTONOPHYSICS / Continental margins: transform;
- 9350 GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION / North America