Plate Boundary Structure
Along the San Andreas Fault
Author: Furlong, Kevin
The San Andreas plate boundary through California represents
perhaps the best studied major fault zone in the world. Even with
the large amount of geological and geophysical data which have
been collected, much is still unknown about the causes, timing,
and triggering of major earthquakes along the boundary. In our
research at Penn State, we are focusing on improving our picture
of the three- dimensional structure of the crust and lithosphere
along the Pacific-North America plate boundary. We have active
research projects imaging the 3-D crustal structure in the San
Francisco Bay region using seismic tomography (right), evaluating
the consequences of a complex plate boundary structure for the
region (below), and studying the consequences of large
earthquakes in the region enhancing the potential for other large
earthquakes as stress is redistributed. Much of the work in the
San Francisco Bay region is part of the Bay Area Seismic Imaging
eXperiment (BASIX) which is a multi-institution project aimed at
developing an improved picture of the crustal structure and fault
zone interaction.
Penn State Geodynamics research has
led to a new model of plate boundary structure in the San
Francisco Bay region. By combining numerical modeling of plate
boundary evolution with observations of crustal deformation,
seismic velocity structure and earthquake patterns. The model
shown on the left which includes a lower crustal connection among
the major faults in the region was developed. Results from the
BASIX project validate this model. Now we are investigating the
consequences of this plate boundary structure for the development
of San Francisco Bay, the potential for earthquakes on major
faults to be coupled, and the evolution of the continental
margin.
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The San Andreas plate boundary through California represents
perhaps the best studied major fault zone in the world. Even with
the large amount of geological and geophysical data which have
been collected, much is still unknown about the causes, timing,
and triggering of major earthquakes along the boundary. In our
research at Penn State, we are focusing on improving our picture
of the three- dimensional structure of the crust and lithosphere
along the Pacific-North America plate boundary. We have active
research projects imaging the 3-D crustal structure in the San
Francisco Bay region using seismic tomography (right), evaluating
the consequences of a complex plate boundary structure for the
region (below), and studying the consequences of large
earthquakes in the region enhancing the potential for other large
earthquakes as stress is redistributed. Much of the work in the
San Francisco Bay region is part of the Bay Area Seismic Imaging
eXperiment (BASIX) which is a multi-institution project aimed at
developing an improved picture of the crustal structure and fault
zone interaction.
