Inferring a Thrust-Related Earthquake History from Secondary Faulting: A Long Rupture Record of La Laja Fault, San Juan, Argentina

Rockwell, T. K.; Ragona, Daniel; Meigs, Andrew; Owen, Lewis A.; Costa, Carlos H.; Ahumada, Emilio A.

doi:10.1785/0120110080

Cited by 31 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Prior to event S2, solid evidence for a previous surface rupture (event S3) occurred between the deposition of unit C and D, as evidenced in trench 6 by the difference in tilt of their bases, which has led to an angular unconformity at the base of C. This relationship is also observed between units B and D at trench 7, although there, it is less straightforward. The record of this surface rupture is reinforced by the sedimentological and stratigraphic features of unit C, interpreted as a ponded stratum in the sense referred to by Rockwell et al (2014); unit C is a matrix supported silt with sparse floating clasts, which possibly records a mudflow. It mantles the surface and thickens down flow towards the fault trace.…”

Section: Evidence Of Paleoearthquakesmentioning

confidence: 82%

Refining seismic parameters in low seismicity areas by 3D trenching: The Alhama de Murcia fault, SE Iberia

et al. 2016

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Three-dimensional paleoseismology in strike-slip faults with slip rates less than 1 mm per year involves a great methodological challenge. We adapted 3D trenching to track buried channels offset by the Alhama de Murcia seismogenic left-lateral strike-slip fault (SE Iberia). A fault net slip of 0.9 ± 0.1 mm/yr was determined using statistical analysis of piercing lines for one buried channel, whose age is constrained between 15.2 ± 1.1 ka and 21.9-22.3 cal BP. This value is larger and more accurate than the previously published slip rates for this fault. The minimum number of five paleo-earthquakes identified since the deposition of dated layers suggests a maximum average recurrence interval of approximately 5 ka. The combination of both seismic parameters yields a maximum slip per event between 5.3 and 6.3 m. We show that accurately planned trenching strategies and data processing may be key to obtaining robust paleoseismic parameters in low seismicity areas.

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Section: Evidence Of Paleoearthquakesmentioning

confidence: 82%

Refining seismic parameters in low seismicity areas by 3D trenching: The Alhama de Murcia fault, SE Iberia

et al. 2016

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“…Our slip rate results for the La Rinconada Fault are a bit lower but on the same order of magnitude as slip rates determined for nearby faults in the Eastern Precordillera. Late Quaternary shortening rates measured on the Villicum‐Las Tapias (Siame et al, ) and the La Laja Faults (Rockwell et al, ) are 0.8 and 1.1 mm/year, respectively. Siame et al () argue that this relatively low slip rate compared to the overall longer‐term geological slip rates for the area can be explained by distribution of shortening across several thrusts across this latitude band (31–32°S).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 30‐m ASTER digital elevation model showing tectonic features (Costa et al, ; Siame et al, ), seismicity (Engdahl & Villaseñor, ), GPS velocity field (Brooks et al, ), and Quaternary slip rate data (Costa, Ahumada, Vázquez, & Kröhling, ; Costa, Ahumada, Gardini, et al, ; Costa et al, ; Rockwell et al, ; Salomon et al, ; Schmidt et al, ; Schoenbohm et al, ; Siame et al, , , ) in the Pampean flat slab segment. The red box shows the location of Figure .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prominent fault scarps, >20 m high, are a consequence of these earthquakes and are counterslope to the eastern flank of the Eastern Precordillera, particularly the foothills of the Sierra Chica de Zonda (Figure ). These scarps uplift and expose the east dipping Miocene Lomas de las Tapias bedrock, which is also being uplifted along the La Laja Fault (Rockwell et al, ). The La Rinconada scarps, which most probably represent cumulative displacement, cut through multiple levels of well‐preserved alluvial deposits, comparable to neighboring Quaternary‐active faults (e.g., La Laja, Las Tapias, and Cerro Salinas Faults).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Late Quaternary Activity of the La Rinconada Fault Zone, San Juan, Argentina

et al. 2019

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Most of the permanent deformation in the Pampean Flat slab segment of the central Andes is taken up at the Andean Orogenic Front in Argentina, a narrow zone between the Eastern Precordillera and Sierras Pampeanas that comprises one of the world's most seismically active thrust zones. Active faults and folds in the region have been extensively mapped but still largely lack information on style and rates of deformation, which is essential for understanding the distribution of regional strain and estimating the seismic potential of individual faults. Structural, geomorphic, and 36 Cl cosmogenic radionuclide surface exposure age methods are used to focus on key sites along the 30-km-long La Rinconada Fault Zone in this region of west-central Argentina, which is~15 km away from the highly populated (~500,000) city of San Juan, to define a late Quaternary average shortening rate of 0.41 ± 0.01 mm/year. This slip rate is the same order of magnitude, but slightly lower than nearby similar east dipping Eastern Precordillera faults including the La Laja and Las Tapias Faults. Relatively low slip rates are interpreted as being a consequence of distributed deformation between the latitude of the La Rinconada Fault Zone (31 and 32°S), as compared to between latitudes 32 to 33°S where deformation appears to be focused on fewer structures, including the Las Peñas and La Cal Thrust Faults. The La Rinconada Fault Zone is capable of generating earthquakes of M w 6.6-7.2, but further investigations are required to determine timing and recurrence intervals of discrete events.

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“…This seismicity pattern is also underlined by epicenter distributions from local seismic networks [ Régnier et al , ; Smalley et al , ], relocated teleseismic events [ Engdahl and Villaseñor , ], and is in good agreement with the location of the regional active faults (Figures c and d). Close to the city of San Juan, it has been proposed that the fault responsible for the 1944 San Juan earthquake could be either the west verging thrusts associated with the Eastern AP [ Siame et al , ; Alvarado and Beck , ] or an east verging, deep crustal thrust located beneath the Eastern AP thrust system [ Meigs et al , ; Meigs and Nabelek , ; Rockwell et al , ]. Combining the relative locations of the double main shock and its aftershocks with observed coseismic elevation changes, Kadinsky‐Cade et al [] concluded that most of the coseismic slip associated with the 1977 Caucete earthquake occurred on a west dipping fault, buried beneath the eastern flank of the SPDP.…”

Section: Regional Setting Of the Andean Foreland Of Northwestern Argementioning

confidence: 99%

Active basement uplift of Sierra Pie de Palo (Northwestern Argentina): Rates and inception from¹⁰Be cosmogenic nuclide concentrations

et al. 2015

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Quaternary tectonic and denudation rates are investigated for an actively growing basement anticline: the Sierra Pie de Palo range, which belongs to the Andean foreland of Northwestern Argentina (28 • S-33 • S). In this study, a detailed morphometric analysis of the topography is combined with in situ-produced cosmogenic 10 Be concentrations measured in (1) surface boulders abandoned on alluvial terraces affected by fault activity (along the north bounding fault) and growth of the basement fold (along the southeastern border), (2) bedrock outcrops corresponding to an exhumed and folded, regional erosion surface, and (3) fluvial sediments sampled at the outlets of several watersheds. Along the eastern and northern borders of the range, incision and uplift rates have been estimated at approximately 0.5 and 1 mm/yr when integrated on Holocene and Pleistocene time scales, in close agreement with both long-term (structural and basin evolution data) and short-term (GPS-derived velocity field) analyses. Cosmogenic-derived denudation and uplift rates combined with geomorphic characteristics of watersheds and river channels allows estimating the onset of the uplift at 4-6 Ma, followed by a more recent period of topographic rejuvenation at roughly 1-2 Ma, probably synchronous with steepening of the eastern and northern flanks of the anticline.

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Inferring a Thrust-Related Earthquake History from Secondary Faulting: A Long Rupture Record of La Laja Fault, San Juan, Argentina

Cited by 31 publications

References 54 publications

Refining seismic parameters in low seismicity areas by 3D trenching: The Alhama de Murcia fault, SE Iberia

Refining seismic parameters in low seismicity areas by 3D trenching: The Alhama de Murcia fault, SE Iberia

Late Quaternary Activity of the La Rinconada Fault Zone, San Juan, Argentina

Active basement uplift of Sierra Pie de Palo (Northwestern Argentina): Rates and inception from¹⁰Be cosmogenic nuclide concentrations

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Inferring a Thrust-Related Earthquake History from Secondary Faulting: A Long Rupture Record of La Laja Fault, San Juan, Argentina

Cited by 31 publications

References 54 publications

Refining seismic parameters in low seismicity areas by 3D trenching: The Alhama de Murcia fault, SE Iberia

Refining seismic parameters in low seismicity areas by 3D trenching: The Alhama de Murcia fault, SE Iberia

Late Quaternary Activity of the La Rinconada Fault Zone, San Juan, Argentina

Active basement uplift of Sierra Pie de Palo (Northwestern Argentina): Rates and inception from10Be cosmogenic nuclide concentrations

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Active basement uplift of Sierra Pie de Palo (Northwestern Argentina): Rates and inception from¹⁰Be cosmogenic nuclide concentrations