Earthquake hypocenters and focal mechanisms in central Oklahoma reveal a complex system of reactivated subsurface strike-slip faulting

Geophysical Research Letters
By: , and 

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Abstract

The sharp increase in seismicity over a broad region of central Oklahoma has raised concern regarding the source of the activity and its potential hazard to local communities and energy industry infrastructure. Since early 2010, numerous organizations have deployed temporary portable seismic stations in central Oklahoma in order to record the evolving seismicity. In this study, we apply a multiple-event relocation method to produce a catalog of 3,639 central Oklahoma earthquakes from late 2009 through 2014. RMT source parameters were determined for 195 of the largest and best-recorded earthquakes. Combining RMT results with relocated seismicity enabled us to determine the length, depth and style-of-faulting occurring on reactivated subsurface fault systems. Results show that the majority of earthquakes occur on near vertical, optimally oriented (NE-SW and NW-SE), strike-slip faults in the shallow crystalline basement. These are necessary first order observations required to assess the potential hazards of individual faults in Oklahoma.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Earthquake hypocenters and focal mechanisms in central Oklahoma reveal a complex system of reactivated subsurface strike-slip faulting
Series title Geophysical Research Letters
DOI 10.1002/2014GL062730
Volume 42
Issue 8
Year Published 2015
Language English
Publisher Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
Contributing office(s) Geologic Hazards Science Center
Description 8 p.
First page 2742
Last page 2749
Country United States
State Oklahoma
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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