Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Surface Slip During Large Owens Valley Fault Earthquakes, Elizabeth K. Haddon, Colin B. Amos, O. Zielke, A. S. Jayko, R. Bürgmann

Geology Faculty Publications

The 1872 Owens Valley earthquake is the third largest known historical earthquake in California. Relatively sparse field data and a complex rupture trace, however, inhibited attempts to fully resolve the slip distribution and reconcile the total moment release. We present a new, comprehensive record of surface slip based on lidar and field investigation, documenting 162 new measurements of laterally and vertically displaced landforms for 1872 and prehistoric Owens Valley earthquakes. Our lidar analysis uses a newly developed analytical tool to measure fault slip based on cross‐correlation of sublinear topographic features and to produce a uniquely shaped probability density function (PDF) …