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Evidence of basin-and-range extensional tectonics in the Sierra Nevada: The Durrwood Meadows swarm, Tulare county, California (1983-1984)

Jones, Lucile M. and Dollar, Robert S. (1986) Evidence of basin-and-range extensional tectonics in the Sierra Nevada: The Durrwood Meadows swarm, Tulare county, California (1983-1984). Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 76 (2). pp. 439-461. ISSN 0037-1106. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140902-144459626

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Abstract

An extensive earthquake swarm occurred at Durrwood Meadows in the southern Sierra Nevada of eastern California during late 1983 and 1984. It was located within a 100-km-long linear belt of seismicity that cuts through the southern Sierra Nevada along a north-southward strike. This seismic belt has been characterized by swarms and was one of the most seismically active features in southern California during 1984. The Durrwood Meadows swarm itself was characterized by a complex spatial distribution and a simple pattern of focal mechanisms. At the beginning of the swarm, the earthquakes were located along a northwestward trend; later, periods of high seismicity were distributed along a northeastward trend forming a Y-shaped structure, and along other, northward and northwestward trends. In spite of this spatial complexity, the focal mechanisms of the 35 M_L ≧ 3.0 earthquakes within the swarm are all similar to each other, with almost pure normal faulting along a north-southward strike. The strikes of the nodal planes in the focal mechanisms and the spatial distribution of epicenters form an en-echelon pattern. The consistency of the focal mechanisms with each other and the en-echelon pattern of epicenters imply a homogenous stress field and a discontinuous fault structure. The 100-km-long linear belt of seismicity in an area with no throughgoing fault structure is interpreted as a basin-and-range normal fault beginning to form within the Sierra Nevada.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
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http://bssa.geoscienceworld.org/content/76/2/439.abstractPublisherArticle
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Jones, Lucile M.0000-0002-2690-3051
Additional Information:© 1986, by the Seismological Society of America. Manuscript received 28 June 1985. We are indebted to Jerry Eaton, Jean Taylor, Ed Corbett, and Carl Johnson for their help in obtaining data for this study. We also thank Egill Hauksson, Jerry Eaton, James Hileman, and Bob Wallace for helpful criticism of the manuscript. Carol Horn and Linda Rosenthal typed the manuscript.
Issue or Number:2
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20140902-144459626
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140902-144459626
Official Citation: Lucile M. Jones and Robert S. Dollar Evidence of basin-and-range extensional tectonics in the Sierra Nevada: The Durrwood Meadows swarm, Tulare county, California (1983-1984) Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1986, v. 76, p. 439-461
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:49146
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: Ruth Sustaita
Deposited On:02 Sep 2014 22:16
Last Modified:24 Feb 2020 10:30

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