A maximum rupture model for the southern San Andreas and San Jacinto Faults California, derived from paleoseismic earthquake ages: Observations and limitations

Geophysical Research Letters
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Abstract

Paleoseismic rupture histories provide spatiotemporal models of earthquake moment release needed to test numerical models and lengthen the instrumental catalog. We develop a model of the fewest and thus largest magnitude earthquakes permitted by paleoseismic data for the last 1,500 years on the southern San Andreas and San Jacinto Faults, California, USA. The largest geometric complexity appears to regulate the system: Only two ruptures break the San Gorgonio Pass region, followed by episodes of ruptures that could bridge the northern San Jacinto Fault and the San Andreas Fault. When tested against independent data on slip per event, the model produces comparable values indicating the end‐member model does not underpredict rupture rates. Rupture of >85% of the fault length in the historic period between 1800 and 1857 and the subsequent quiescence is similar to epochs of activity in the prehistoric model, suggesting that regional clustering of seismicity could be a trait of the system.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title A maximum rupture model for the southern San Andreas and San Jacinto Faults California, derived from paleoseismic earthquake ages: Observations and limitations
Series title Geophysical Research Letters
DOI 10.1029/2020GL088532
Volume 47
Year Published 2020
Language English
Publisher American Geophysical Union
Contributing office(s) Earthquake Science Center
Description e2020GL088532, 11 p.
Country United States
State California
Other Geospatial San Andreas Fault, San Jacinto Fault
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