| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Center for Neotectonic Studies and Department of Geological Sciences University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, Nevada 89557
Abstract
Paleoearthquake and fault slip-rate data are combined with the CIT-USGS catalog for the period 1944 to 1992 to examine the shape of the magnitude-frequency distribution along the major strike-slip faults of southern California. The resulting distributions for the Newport-Inglewood, Elsinore, Garlock, and San Andreas faults are in accord with the characteristic earthquake model of fault behavior. The distribution observed along the San Jacinto fault satisfies the Gutenberg-Richter relationship. If attention is limited to segments of the San Jacinto that are marked by the rupture zones of large historical earthquakes or distinct steps in fault trace, the observed distribution along each segment is consistent with the characteristic earthquake model. The Gutenberg-Richter distribution observed for the entirety of the San Jacinto may reflect the sum of seismicity along a number of distinct fault segments, each of which displays a characteristic earthquake distribution. The limited period of instrumental recording is insufficient to disprove the hypothesis that all faults will display a Gutenberg-Richter distribution when averaged over the course of a complete earthquake cycle. But, given that (1) the last 5 decades of seismicity are the best indicators of the expected level of small to moderate-size earthquakes in the next 50 years, and (2) it is generally about this period of time that is of interest in seismic hazard and engineering analysis, the answer to the question posed in the title of the article, at least when concerned with practical implementation of seismic hazard analysis at sites along these major faults, appears to be the "characteristic earthquake distribution."
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  C. Beauval, P.-Y. Bard, S. Hainzl, and P. Gueguen Can Strong-Motion Observations be Used to Constrain Probabilistic Seismic-Hazard Estimates? Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 2008; 98(2): 509 - 520. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Frohlich Practical Suggestions for Assessing Rates of Seismic-Moment Release Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 2007; 97(4): 1158 - 1166. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. G. Anderson and Y. Miyata Ranking States by Seismic Activity Seismological Research Letters, November 1, 2006; 77(6): 672 - 676. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. P. Biasi and R. J. Weldon II Estimating Surface Rupture Length and Magnitude of Paleoearthquakes from Point Measurements of Rupture Displacement Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 2006; 96(5): 1612 - 1623. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. A. Okal, J. C. Borrero, and C. E. Synolakis Evaluation of Tsunami Risk from Regional Earthquakes at Pisco, Peru Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 2006; 96(5): 1634 - 1648. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. J. Kagan, A. Agnon, M. Bar-Matthews, and A. Ayalon Dating large infrequent earthquakes by damaged cave deposits Geology, April 1, 2005; 33(4): 261 - 264. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Liu, K. Sieh, and E. Hauksson A Structural Interpretation of the Aftershock "Cloud" of the 1992 Mw 7.3 Landers Earthquake Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 2003; 93(3): 1333 - 1344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Predominance of Unilateral Rupture for a Global Catalog of Large Earthquakes Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 2002; 92(8): 3309 - 3317.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Integrated Seismic-Hazard Analysis of the Wasatch Front, Utah Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 2002; 92(5): 1904 - 1922.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adaptive Kernel Estimation and Continuous Probability Representation of Historical Earthquake Catalogs Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 2002; 92(3): 904 - 912.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Probability of Rupture of Multiple Fault Segments Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 2000; 90(6): 1498 - 1506.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Discrepancy between Earthquake Rates Implied by Historic Earthquakes and a Consensus Geologic Source Model for California Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 2000; 90(5): 1117 - 1132.
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. G. Wesnousky Crustal deformation processes and the stability of the Gutenberg-Richter relationship Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1999; 89(4): 1131 - 1137. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. Ben-Zion and D. J. Andrews Properties and implications of dynamic rupture along a material interface Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1998; 88(4): 1085 - 1094. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Leonard, D. M. Steinberg, and N. Rabinowitz An indication of time-dependent seismic behavior--An assessment of paleoseismic evidence from the Arava Fault, Israel Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 1998; 88(3): 767 - 776. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Frohlich Does maximum earthquake size depend on focal depth? Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 1998; 88(2): 329 - 336. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. W. Stirling and S. G. Wesnousky Do historical rates of seismicity in southern California require the occurrence of earthquake magnitudes greater than would be predicted from fault length? Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1997; 87(6): 1662 - 1666. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Molchan, T. Kronrod, and G. F. Panza Multi-scale seismicity model for seismic risk Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 1997; 87(5): 1220 - 1229. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Hildebrand, M. A. McDonald, and S. C. Webb Microearthquakes at intermediate spreading-rate ridges: The Cleft segment megaplume site on the Juan de Fuca Ridge Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 1997; 87(3): 684 - 691. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. K. Hirabayashi, T. K. Rockwell, S. G. Wesnousky, M. W. Stirling, and F. Suarez-Vidal A neotectonic study of the San Miguel-Vallecitos fault, Baja California, Mexico Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1996; 86(6): 1770 - 1783. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. Y. Kagan Comment on "The Gutenberg-Richter or characteristic earthquake distribution, which is it?" by Steven G. Wesnousky Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1996; 86(1A): 274 - 285. [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. G. Wesnousky Reply to Yan Kagan's comment on "The Gutenberg-Richter or characteristic earthquake distribution, which is it?" Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1996; 86(1A): 286 - 291. [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. D. Petersen, C. H. Cramer, W. A. Bryant, M. S. Reichle, and T. R. Toppozada Preliminary seismic hazard assessment for Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange counties, California, affected by the 17 January 1994 Northridge earthquake Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1996; 86(1B): S247 - S261. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
