HR: 1340h
AN: T13A-1349 [Abstracts]
TI: Imaging the Deep Roots of the San Andreas Fault and the Dead Sea Fault with Magnetotelluric
Measurements
AU: * Ritter, O
EM: oritter@gfz-potsdam.de
AF: GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473
Germany
AU: Park, S K
EM: magneto@ucrmt.ucr.edu
AF: University of California-Riverside, Institute of Geophysics & Planetary Physics
1432 Geology, Riverside, CA 92521
United States
AU: Bedrosian, P A
EM: bedros@gfz-potsdam.de
AF: GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473
Germany
AU: Weckmann, U
EM: ute@cp.dias.ie
AF: GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473
Germany
AU: Weckmann, U
EM: ute@cp.dias.ie
AF: now at: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 5, Merrion Square, Dublin, 2
Ireland
AU: Weber, M
EM: mhw@gfz-potsdam.de
AF: GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473
Germany
AB:
We give details of a planned new magnetotelluric (MT) experiment at Parkfield and present results of a similarly designed
investigation of the Dead Sea Transform fault. MT studies have always played an important role in the investigation of the
San Andreas Fault (SAF) but due to short profile lengths, they have generally focused on the geometry and nature of the upper
crustal fault. Continental transform faults separate plates of lithosphere but it is still debatable if these faults cut
rigid blocks as narrow shear zones or if the lower crust decouples and deforms continuously over a wide area. A geophysical
transect across the Dead Sea Transform (DST) in Jordan and Israel reveals a narrow, approximately 3-5 km wide, sub-vertical
zone of high electrical conductivity penetrating the lithosphere to a depth of at least 30 km. This image strongly suggests
that the DST is spatially confined even in the ductile lower crust. However, the situation may be different at the SAF.
Results from the brittle crust show some similarities in these major transform fault systems, but also marked differences.
Field work in Parkfield will start in spring 2005 with a high resolution MT survey following the 50 km reflection /
refraction seismic profile of Hole & Ryberg. Additional MT sites will be deployed along and off the main 50 km profile for
areal coverage. Acquiring seismic and magnetotelluric data along a coincident profile gives the opportunity to utilize the
combined imaging power of the two methods
DE: 8110 Continental tectonics--general (0905)
DE: 8120 Dynamics of lithosphere and mantle--general
DE: 1515 Geomagnetic induction
SC: Tectonophysics [T]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting