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Seismic reflection imaging of the low-angle Panamint normal fault system, eastern California, 2018

Metadata Updated: July 6, 2024

A fundamental question in seismic hazard analysis is whether <30º-dipping low-angle normal faults (LANFs) slip seismogenically. In comparison to more steeply dipping (45-60º) normal faults, LANFs have the potential to produce stronger shaking because of their increased possible rupture area in the seismogenic crust. While LANFs have been documented globally, examples of seismogenically active LANFs are limited. The western margin of the Panamint Range in eastern California is defined by an archetypal LANF that dips west beneath Panamint Valley. In addition, high-angle dextral-oblique normal faults displace mid-to-late Quaternary alluvial fans near the range front. To image shallow (<1 km depth), crosscutting relationships between the low- and high-angle faults along the range front, we acquired two high-resolution P-wave seismic reflection profiles. The northern 4.6-km-long profile crosses the 2-km-wide Wildrose Graben and the southern 0.8-km-long profile extends onto the Panamint Valley playa. The profile across the Wildrose Graben reveals a robust, low-angle reflector interpreted to represent the LANF. High-angle faults interpreted in the seismic profile correspond to fault scarps on Quaternary alluvial fan surfaces. Interpretation of the reflection data suggests that the high-angle faults vertically displace the LANF up to 81 m within the Wildrose Graben. Similarly, the southern profile reveals a low-angle reflector, which appears both rotated and displaced up to 260 m by high-angle faults. These results suggest that near the Panamint rangefront, the highangle faults are the dominant late Quaternary structures. We conclude that, at least at shallow (<1km) depths, the LANF imaged is not seismogenically active today.

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Created Date June 1, 2023
Metadata Updated Date July 6, 2024

Metadata Source

Harvested from DOI EDI

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Created Date June 1, 2023
Metadata Updated Date July 6, 2024
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer
@Id http://datainventory.doi.gov/id/dataset/77458dd4089667b9436d0e8aac692199
Identifier USGS:5ed1344682ce2832f044feab
Data Last Modified 20201013
Category geospatial
Public Access Level public
Bureau Code 010:12
Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Metadata Catalog ID https://datainventory.doi.gov/data.json
Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id d6b8c18f-78e3-43f4-aaa8-b128e2b730f1
Harvest Source Id 52bfcc16-6e15-478f-809a-b1bc76f1aeda
Harvest Source Title DOI EDI
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial -117.46746919938,35.76017689257,-117.02801607439,36.368510503837
Publisher Hierarchy White House > U.S. Department of the Interior > U.S. Geological Survey
Source Datajson Identifier True
Source Hash f7d0999bd1166efe0d9e4f6051d390c80de48e6e1a528f5ca9d12d0d4ec1c0ef
Source Schema Version 1.1
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