Near-surface structure of the 1906 main trace of the San Andreas Fault, San Francisco peninsula segment, California

The peninsula segment of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) is forecasted to have the second highest probability of producing a M6.7 or greater earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area in the next 30 years; yet, relatively little is known about its slip history. In most places, the surface location of the SAF has been determined primarily on the basis of geomorphic features and from mapping surface ruptures associated with the 1906 M7.9 San Francisco earthquake. To more precisely locate traces of this segment of the SAF along the San Francisco peninsula in the subsurface, we acquired a high-resolution seismic imaging survey, using both seismic refraction and reflection profiling, south of Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir near Woodside, California in June 2012. High-resolution seismic images produced from this study may benefit ongoing paleoseismological investigations along the SAF because the seismic data can be used to precisely locate the main fault trace and auxiliary faults that may contribute to the earthquake hazards associated with the fault zone. Furthermore, the seismic images provide insights into near-surface fault structure and P- and S-wave velocities, which can be important in understanding strong shaking resulting from future earthquakes along this segment of the SAF. We acquired both P- and S-wave data using a 60-channel seismograph system connected via cable to 40-Hz vertical-component and 4-Hz horizontal geophones, which were spaced at 1-m intervals along a 60-m-long transect. Seismic sources (shots) were generated by hammer impacts on a steel plate or aluminum block at each geophone location. All shots were recorded on all channels. This survey design permits simultaneous acquisition of reflection and refraction data so that both refraction tomography and reflection images can be developed. Our initial analysis of the P-wave data shows that seismic velocities across the main trace of the SAF vary from about 700 m/s near the surface to more than 2500 m/s at 30-m depth. We observe strong P-wave velocity variations across the main trace at depths greater than 15-m. We are developing an S-wave velocity model and reflection images, which should better constrain the details of the structure and geometry of the fault zone.