Strain rates and contemporary deformation in the Snake River Plain and surrounding Basin and Range from GPS and seismicity

Research Article| August 01, 2008 Strain rates and contemporary deformation in the Snake River Plain and surrounding Basin and Range from GPS and seismicity Suzette J. Payne; Suzette J. Payne 1Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415-2025, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert McCaffrey; Robert McCaffrey 2GNS Science, 1 Fairway Drive, P.O. Box 30368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert W. King Robert W. King 3Department of Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Suzette J. Payne 1Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415-2025, USA Robert McCaffrey 2GNS Science, 1 Fairway Drive, P.O. Box 30368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Robert W. King 3Department of Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 04 Feb 2008 Revision Received: 28 Apr 2008 Accepted: 04 May 2008 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2008 Geological Society of America Geology (2008) 36 (8): 647–650. https://doi.org/10.1130/G25039A.1 Article history Received: 04 Feb 2008 Revision Received: 28 Apr 2008 Accepted: 04 May 2008 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Suzette J. Payne, Robert McCaffrey, Robert W. King; Strain rates and contemporary deformation in the Snake River Plain and surrounding Basin and Range from GPS and seismicity. Geology 2008;; 36 (8): 647–650. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G25039A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract We used new horizontal global positioning system (GPS) velocities along with earthquakes, faults, and volcanic features to assess how strain is accommodated in the northern Basin and Range Province. We estimated horizontal velocities for 132 stations within the Snake River Plain and the surrounding Basin and Range from GPS phase data collected from 1994 to 2007. These velocities show regional-scale clockwise rotation suggestive of driving forces beyond those associated with the Yellowstone hotspot. Within the western Centennial tectonic belt, the GPS measurements indicate that the Basin and Range is extending at a rate an order of magnitude greater than the Snake River Plain, which explains its low seismicity. Between these two regions, we discern the “Centennial shear zone,” a NE-trending zone of right-lateral shear with estimated slip rates that increase northeastward from 0.9 ± 0.3 mm/yr in the SW to 1.7 ± 0.2 mm/yr in NE. We interpret the new GPS velocities to indicate: (1) right-lateral shear may be accommodated by strike-slip earthquakes on NE-trending faults in the Centennial shear zone; (2) three Basin and Range faults (Lost River, Lemhi, and Beaverhead) terminate at the Snake River Plain margin; and (3) extension in the Snake River Plain occurs at a much lower rate than the rate of normal faulting in the western Centennial tectonic belt. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.