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Article
Map of the late Quaternary active Kern Canyon and Breckenridge faults, southern Sierra Nevada, California
Geosphere
  • C. C. Brossy
  • K. I. Kelson
  • Colin B. Amos, Western Washington University
  • J. N. Baldwin
  • B. Kozlowicz
  • D. Simpson
  • M. G. Ticci
  • A. T. Lutz
  • O. Kozaci
  • A. Streig
  • R. Turner
  • R. Rose
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2012
Keywords
  • Cenozoic faults,
  • California earthquakes,
  • Deformation,
  • Remote sensing
Disciplines
Abstract

Surface traces of the Quaternary active Kern Canyon and Breckenridge faults were mapped via aerial reconnaissance, analysis of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) elevation data, review and interpretation of aerial photography, field reconnaissance, and detailed field mapping. This effort specifically targeted evidence of late Quaternary surface deformation and, combined with separate paleoseismic investigations, identified and characterized the North Kern Canyon, South Kern Canyon, and Lake Isabella sections of the Kern Canyon fault and the Breckenridge fault. The mapping presented here provides definitive evidence for previously unrecognized Holocene and late Pleistocene east-down displacement along the Kern Canyon and Breckenridge faults. Our results indicate that much of the Kern Canyon fault has undergone Quaternary reactivation to accommodate internal deformation of the otherwise rigid Sierra Nevada block. This deformation reflects ongoing, seismogenic crustal thinning in the southern Sierra Nevada, and highlights the effects of localized tectonic forces operating in this part of the Sierra Nevada.

DOI
10.1130/GES00663.1
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Paleoseismology--Quaternary; Surface fault ruptures--Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.); Geomorphological mapping--Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.)
Geographic Coverage
Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.)
Genre/Form
articles
Type
Text
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
C. C. Brossy, K. I. Kelson, Colin B. Amos, J. N. Baldwin, et al.. "Map of the late Quaternary active Kern Canyon and Breckenridge faults, southern Sierra Nevada, California" Geosphere Vol. 8 Iss. 3 (2012) p. 581 - 591
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/colin-amos/37/