A late Cenozoic kinematic model for fault motion within greater Cascadia

Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
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Abstract

Widely accepted tectonic reconstructions indicate at least 100 km of coast-parallel northwestward translation of the Sierra Nevada block of California and 15–20° clockwise rotation of most of Oregon since the current phase of Basin and Range extension began ∼17 Ma. These reconstructions require at least 100 km of convergence between the central Coast Range of Oregon and rigid North America in mainland British Columbia, yet there is little discussion of how such convergence might be distributed. This study offers a kinematic model of the distribution of such deformation, constrained by geodesy, paleomagnetism, and fault offsets in Nevada, California and Oregon. The model includes differential rotation across the thrust faults of the Yakima fold and thrust belt (YFTB), compressive right-lateral faulting in the Washington Cascade Range, substantial thrust faulting within the Puget Lowland, and oroclinal bending and doming in the Olympic Mountains. Shortening across YTFB along 120°W longitude is modeled as 47 km, across Puget Lowland at 123°W (Olympia-Bellingham) is 94 km, and total shortening between the central Oregon Coast Range and northern Washington (Corvallis-Bellingham) is 125 km. Current motion of the coastal regions above the Cascadia subduction zone results from both permanent deformation of the continent and elastic coupling to the subducting plate. Permanent deformation in the model is based on extrapolating geodesy from east of 120°W or south of 40°N, indicating a very uniform convergence velocity with the Juan de Fuca plate for northernmost California and Oregon near 31 mm/yr at N61°E.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title A late Cenozoic kinematic model for fault motion within greater Cascadia
Series title Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
DOI /10.1029/2022GC010442
Volume 23
Issue 9
Publication Date September 15, 2022
Year Published 2022
Language English
Publisher American Geophysical Union
Contributing office(s) Earthquake Science Center
Description e2022GC010442, 23 p.
Country United States
State California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
Other Geospatial Greater Cascadia
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