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Suggested citation:Stephenson, W.J., Reitman, N.G., and Angster, S.J., 2017, P-and S-wave velocity models incorporating the Cascadia subduction zone for 3D earthquake ground motion simulations, version 1.
AcknowledgmentsThe V P and V S property volumes of model V1.6 were greatly improved by feedback from end-users including Art Frankel (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS]), Andy Delorey (Los Alamos National Laboratory), and John Vidale (University of Washington). We thank Jack Odum and Robert Williams (USGS) for their technical reviews, which greatly improved this manuscript. Special thanks to Jordan Bretthauer (USGS) for assistance in developing figure 1 of this report. Discussions with numerous collaborators and other interested parties seeking components of the model for their research helped prompt us to formally complete this updated documentation. This research was supported by funding from the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.
IntroductionIn support of earthquake hazards studies and ground motion simulations in the Pacific Northwest, threedimensional (3D) P-and S-wave velocity (V P and V S , respectively) models incorporating the Cascadia subduction zone were previously developed for the region encompassed from about 40.2°N. to 50°N. latitude, and from about 122°W. to 129°W. longitude ( fig. 1). This report describes updates to the Cascadia velocity property volumes of model version 1.3 ([V1.3]; Stephenson, 2007), herein called model version 1.6 (V1.6). As in model V1.3, the updated V1.6 model volume includes depths from 0 kilometers (km) (mean sea level) to 60 km, and it is intended to be a reference for researchers who have used, or are planning to use, this model in their earth science investigations. To this end, it is intended that the V P and V S property volumes of model V1.6 will be considered a template for a community velocity model of the Cascadia region as additional results become available. With the recent and ongoing development of the National Crustal Model (NCM; Boyd and Shah, 2016), we envision any future versions of this model will be directly integrated with that effort.
BackgroundThe Cascadia subduction zone stretches for over 1,000 km, from the Mendocino Triple Junction off the northern California coast northward to Vancouver Island, Canada ( fig. 2). The primary reasons for developing these model volumes are (1) for simulat...