LiDAR and Paleoseismology Solve Earthquake Mystery in the Pacific Northwest, USA
Abstract One of the largest historical earthquakes in the U.S. Pacific Northwest occurred on December 15, 1872 near the south end of Lake Chelan. Lack of recognized surface deformation suggested that the earthquake occurred on a blind, perhaps deep, fault. New LiDAR data revealed a NW‐side‐up scarp...
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Wiley
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL093318 |
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| author | Brian L. Sherrod Richard J. Blakely Craig S. Weaver |
| author_facet | Brian L. Sherrod Richard J. Blakely Craig S. Weaver |
| author_sort | Brian L. Sherrod |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract One of the largest historical earthquakes in the U.S. Pacific Northwest occurred on December 15, 1872 near the south end of Lake Chelan. Lack of recognized surface deformation suggested that the earthquake occurred on a blind, perhaps deep, fault. New LiDAR data revealed a NW‐side‐up scarp along the north side of Spencer Canyon near Entiat, Washington. Landslides triggered during the earthquake impounded small ponds in Spencer Canyon; the larger of the two landslides obliterated a portion of the scarp. Tree‐ring counts show that the oldest trees on each landslide are 130 and 128 years old, and lend credence to the idea that the earthquake triggered the landslides. Trenches across the scarp exposed a NW‐dipping thrust fault offsetting young soils and Mesozoic bedrock. Radiocarbon and tree ring data shows that the last fault movement was between 1856 and 1873 CE, and was most likely during the 1872 CE earthquake. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ebee0655075c4887b7e9df571bb49b15 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-ebee0655075c4887b7e9df571bb49b152025-08-20T02:18:54ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072021-08-014816n/an/a10.1029/2021GL093318LiDAR and Paleoseismology Solve Earthquake Mystery in the Pacific Northwest, USABrian L. Sherrod0Richard J. Blakely1Craig S. Weaver2Department of Earth and Space Sciences U.S. Geological Survey University of Washington Seattle WA USAEmeritus U.S. Geological Survey Moffett Field CA USADepartment of Earth and Space Sciences Emeritus U.S. Geological Survey University of Washington Seattle WA USAAbstract One of the largest historical earthquakes in the U.S. Pacific Northwest occurred on December 15, 1872 near the south end of Lake Chelan. Lack of recognized surface deformation suggested that the earthquake occurred on a blind, perhaps deep, fault. New LiDAR data revealed a NW‐side‐up scarp along the north side of Spencer Canyon near Entiat, Washington. Landslides triggered during the earthquake impounded small ponds in Spencer Canyon; the larger of the two landslides obliterated a portion of the scarp. Tree‐ring counts show that the oldest trees on each landslide are 130 and 128 years old, and lend credence to the idea that the earthquake triggered the landslides. Trenches across the scarp exposed a NW‐dipping thrust fault offsetting young soils and Mesozoic bedrock. Radiocarbon and tree ring data shows that the last fault movement was between 1856 and 1873 CE, and was most likely during the 1872 CE earthquake.https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL093318paleoseismologyHoloceneearthquakePacific Northwest |
| spellingShingle | Brian L. Sherrod Richard J. Blakely Craig S. Weaver LiDAR and Paleoseismology Solve Earthquake Mystery in the Pacific Northwest, USA Geophysical Research Letters paleoseismology Holocene earthquake Pacific Northwest |
| title | LiDAR and Paleoseismology Solve Earthquake Mystery in the Pacific Northwest, USA |
| title_full | LiDAR and Paleoseismology Solve Earthquake Mystery in the Pacific Northwest, USA |
| title_fullStr | LiDAR and Paleoseismology Solve Earthquake Mystery in the Pacific Northwest, USA |
| title_full_unstemmed | LiDAR and Paleoseismology Solve Earthquake Mystery in the Pacific Northwest, USA |
| title_short | LiDAR and Paleoseismology Solve Earthquake Mystery in the Pacific Northwest, USA |
| title_sort | lidar and paleoseismology solve earthquake mystery in the pacific northwest usa |
| topic | paleoseismology Holocene earthquake Pacific Northwest |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL093318 |
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