Triggered Fault Slip in Southern California Associated with the 2010 Sierra El Mayor-Cucapah, Baja California, Mexico, Earthquake

Surface fracturing (triggered slip) occurred in the central Salton Trough and to the southwest, in the Yuha Desert area—all in association with the 4 April 2010 (M7.2) El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake and its aftershocks. Triggered slip in the central Salton Trough occurred on the ‘frequent movers’: the southern San Andreas, Coyote Creek, Superstition Hills, and Imperial Faults, all of which have slipped in previous moderate to large, local and regional earthquakes in the past five decades. Other faults in the central Salton Trough that also slipped in 2010 include the Wienert Fault (southeastern section of the Superstition Hills Fault), the Kalin Fault (in the Brawley Seismic Zone), and the Brawley Fault Zone; triggered slip had not been reported on these faults in the past. Geologic measures of slip on faults in the central Salton Trough ranged from 1 to 18 mm, and everywhere was located where previous primary (tectonic) or triggered slip has occurred. Triggered slip in the Yuha Desert area occurred along at least two dozen faults, only some of which were known before the 4 April 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake. From east to northwest, slip occurred in seven general areas; 1) in the Northern Centinela Fault Zone (newly named), 2) along unnamed faults south of Pinto Wash, 3) along the Yuha Fault (newly named), 4) along both east and west branches of the Laguna Salada Fault, 5) along the Yuha Well Fault Zone (newly revised name), 6) along the Ocotillo Fault (newly named), and 7) along the southeastern-most section of the Elsinore Fault. Faults that slipped in the Yuha Desert area include northwest-trending right-lateral faults, northeast-trending left-lateral faults, and north-south faults, some of which had dominantly vertical slip. Triggered slip along the Ocotillo and Elsinore Faults occurred only in association with the 14 June 2010 (M5.7) aftershock, which also initiated slip along other faults near the town of Ocotillo. Triggered slip on faults in the Yuha Desert area was most commonly less than 20 mm, but two significant exceptions are slip of about 50-60 mm on the Yuha Fault and of about 80 mm on the Ocotillo Fault. All triggered slips in the Yuha Desert area occurred along pre-existing faults, whether previously recognized or not.