HR: 13:55h
AN: T13G-02    [Abstracts]
TI: Computation of 3-D static stress in the lithosphere from topographic loads at the surface and base
AU: * Luttrell, K
EM: kluttrell@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 9500 Gilman Dr. MC 0225, La Jolla, CA 92093-0225,
AU: Sandwell, D
EM: dsandwell@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 9500 Gilman Dr. MC 0225, La Jolla, CA 92093-0225,
AB: We develop the mathematical theory for semi-analytically calculating 3-D stress within an elastic plate from loads at its surface and base. We are primarily concerned with stress from surface topography and Moho topography at intermediate wavelengths: longer than those compensated by an elastic halfspace behavior (≥ 10² km) but shorter than those compensated by thin elastic plate flexure (≤ 10³ km). We compute the 3-D stress from real surface and Moho topography to estimate a lower bound on absolute stress magnitude in the lithosphere and examine the regional and depth dependence of that magnitude. We also examine the orientation of the principal stresses induced from topography and find that at the front of mountain ranges, the maximum principal stress direction transitions from vertically oriented to horizontally oriented over a few hundred km. We compare regional calculated stress with patterns of seismicity and stress moment tensors for large events.
DE: 0545 Modeling (4255)
DE: 8138 Lithospheric flexure
DE: 8150 Plate boundary: general (3040)
DE: 8164 Stresses: crust and lithosphere
SC: Tectonophysics [T]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting