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Department of Environmental Analysis and Design
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, California 92697-7070
(E.E.R., L.B.G.)
Department of Geological Sciences
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona 85287-1404
(J.R.A., E.M.S.)
Department of Geology and Geography
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia 30460-8149
(D.D.R.)
Changes since 1855 in reported section-line lengths and positions of survey
monuments that span the San Andreas fault (SAF) were used to measure
displacement interpreted to be from the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake in
south-central California. In 1855-1856 James E. Freeman established township
and range lines across the SAF between Rancho Cholame and the northern Carrizo
Plain. At least 26 1-mile sections lines spanned the SAF in the area between
present-day California Highways 46 and 58. Each section line was marked by
monuments at the midpoint and endpoints. Section lines across portions of the
SAF were resurveyed in 1893 by J. M. Gore. We projected changes in line length
onto the fault zone to measure displacement. The measurements indicate right
lateral displacement of 16.2 ± 6.0 m across the fault zone. The
resulting tectonic displacement exceeds the maximum reported geomorphic
offsets (
6.7 m) attributed to the 1857 earthquake along the Cholame
segment. Although we recognize great uncertainties in the accuracy of our
small, historical data set, we tentatively conclude that total displacement in
the 1857 earthquake along the SAF over this
2 km wide aperture was
significantly greater than the 3- to 6-m slip previously reported for the
Cholame segment from narrower aperture geomorphic and trenching studies. These
differences may be compatible if slip along the fault increases down dip
rapidly from
3-6 m at the surface to
20 m within several hundred
meters of the surface. Our inference of high slip along this portion of the
Cholame segment in 1857 is at odds with most rupture models of the central SAF
and suggests that geomorphic offsets may not represent total displacement
across the fault zone.
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