Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center

21 Jan, 01 AM - 27 Jan, 06 AM

Pseudotachylytes are deposits of frictionally melted rock which form in fault zones during an earthquake. The Santa Rosa Mylonite zone is an ancient fault which generated earthquakes about 40 million years ago, and has since been uplifted and exposed in the walls of Deep Canyon. Pseudotachylyte melt formed during these ancient earthquakes flowed along fault surfaces and into cracks in the wall rock. The melt pressure is recorded in the width, orientation and distribution of melt-filled cracks, which in turn records the shear stress on the faults during earthquakes. This unknown parameter is of major interest to the global earthquake community, as it can not be directly measured by seismological methods. If the magnitude of shear stress during an earthquake can be determined, the stress balance across faults and total energy in the tectonic cycle can be estimated. We intend to study the uniquely well exposed pseudotachylyte-bearing faults in Deep Canyon to attempt to measure the co-seismic melt pressure and relate this to shear stress.

Visit #23874 @Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center

Approved

Under Project # 22996 | Research

Ancient earthquake pressures recorded in pseudotachylyte veins of the Santa Rosa Mylonite Zone

research_scientist - University of California, Santa Cruz

Reservation Members(s)

Christen Rowe Jan 21 - 27, 2011 (7 days)
Group of 2 Research Scientist/Post Doc Jan 21 - 27, 2011 (7 days)
Christen Rowe Jan 21 - 27, 2011 (7 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Agave Hill facility 4 Jan 21 - 27, 2011
Mayhew housing facilities 4 Jan 21 - 27, 2011
Campground 4 Jan 21 - 27, 2011