Constraining the Holocene Extent of the Northwest Meers Fault, Oklahoma Using High-Resolution Topography and Paleoseismic Trenching
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Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Summer 9-8-2017 Constraining the Holocene Extent of the Northwest Meers Fault, Oklahoma Using High-Resolution Topography and Paleoseismic Trenching Kristofer Tyler Hornsby Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Geology Commons, and the Geomorphology Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Hornsby, Kristofer Tyler, "Constraining the Holocene Extent of the Northwest Meers Fault, Oklahoma Using High-Resolution Topography and Paleoseismic Trenching" (2017). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 3890. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5778 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Constraining the Holocene Extent of the Northwest Meers Fault, Oklahoma Using High-Resolution Topography and Paleoseismic Trenching by Kristofer Tyler Hornsby A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science In Geology Thesis Committee: Ashley R. Streig, Chair Scott E.K. Bennett Adam M. Booth Portland State University 2017 ABSTRACT The Meers Fault (Oklahoma) is one of few seismogenic structures with Holocene surface expression in the stable continental region of North America. Only the ~37 km- long southeastern section of the ~55 km long Meers Fault is interpreted to be Holocene- active. The ~17 km-long northwestern section is considered to be Quaternary-active (pre- Holocene); however, its low-relief geomorphic expression and anthropogenic alteration have presented difficulties in evaluating the fault length and style of Holocene deformation. We reevaluate surface expression and earthquake timing of the northwestern portion of the Meers Fault to improve fault characterization, earthquake rupture models, and seismic hazard evaluations based on fault length. We use a combination of airborne lidar (0.5–2 m-resolution), historical aerial photos, and new balloon-based photogrammetric (Structure from Motion) topography (0.25–0.5 m- resolution) collected in this study to analyze and characterize the fault scarp and local fault zone geomorphology. In the northwest, complex surface deformation includes fault splays, a left step, subtle monoclinal warping, and a minor change in fault strike The fault is evident in the landscape as linear escarpments, incised channels on the up-thrown side of the scarp, and closed depressions on the downthrown side. I use topographic profiles, measured perpendicular to the fault scarp to show that the northwest scarp is characterized by decimeter surface offsets. Where the fault traverses the Post Oak Conglomerate the fault zone width rarely exceeds 25 m, in the Hennessey Shale I document an increase in fault zone width with deformation occurring over 20 m to 115 m. I further examined the northwest section of the fault in a paleoseismic excavation i where weathered Permian Hennessey Shale and a ~1–2 m-thick veneer of Holocene alluvial deposits have been folded and warped during three surface-folding earthquakes. In an adjacent stream exposure these units are also faulted near the ground surface. Paleoearthquake age modeling (Oxcal) constrained by accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) dating of detrital charcoal and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of sandy alluvial beds indicates two earthquakes occurred since ~6152-5550 cal. years BP and one possibly older event along the erosional unconformity along the Hennessey Shale bedrock. This analysis lengthens the Holocene extent of the Meers Fault by ~6 km, to ~43 km, and extends the paleoseismic record of the Meers Fault to ~9598 cal. years BP. These data will improve fault-rupture and earthquake recurrence models used for seismic hazard analysis of the Meers Fault. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research was supported by funding from the USGS National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP, Award# GISA00037), and a GSA Graduate Student Research Grant (2017). Rob Williams (USGS Geological Hazards Science Center) provided financial support for OSL age dating. This project was part of a collaboration between Portland State University, Oklahoma Geological Survey, and the United States Geological Survey. I thank my advisor Ashley Streig for her guidance and support throughout this project as well my committee members Adam Booth and Scott Bennett for their patience, constructive feedback, and advice. Thanks to Ramon Arrowsmith for his expertise and assistance with Structure from Motion. Kenneth Cruikshank provided invaluable discussions regarding structural geology and fault mechanics and has been very supportive. I am very grateful for Shannon Mahan’s hard and thorough work processing and analyzing my OSL samples. Thanks to the following Oklahoma Geological survey and University of Oklahoma members; Jefferson Chang, Isaac Woefel, John Schwing, Noorulann Ghouse, and Shannon Dulin for their assistance and discussion in the field. I owe a special thanks to the property owners who granted me access to their land during field work; Tom Cavanaugh (Kimbell Ranch) and Dean Reeder’s support, knowledge, and hospitality were critical to this thesis. Madeline Dillner and Richard Tarver from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission provided historical imagery and lidar datasets for this analysis and are greatly appreciated. iii I would like to thank my family and friends that have supported me throughout the duration of the project. I am also very grateful for the supportive and informative discussions that I have had with my fellow graduate students as well as my professors at Portland State University. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments............................................................................................................ iiiii List of Tables ............................................................................................................... viiviii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 2 Background ................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Geologic Background ........................................................................................... 4 2.2 Previous Studies ................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Geomorphic Mapping and Fault Length ....................................................... 9 2.2.2 Paleoseismic Investigations and Earthquake Timing ................................... 9 3 Methods..................................................................................................................... 15 3.1 Fault Scarp Morphology Mapping ..................................................................... 15 3.1.1 Lidar Topography ....................................................................................... 15 3.1.2 Balloon-Based Photograph Topography and Structure from Motion ....... 17 3.1.3 Historical Aerial Photograph Topography .................................................. 29 3.1.4 Geologic and Geomorphic Mapping and Field Reconnasaince ................. 29 3.2 Water Moccasin Paleoseismic Site .................................................................... 30 3.2.1 Active Source Seismic Survey .................................................................... 30 v 3.2.2 Paleoseismic Trenching and Irrigation Ditch Mapping .............................. 31 3.2.3 Dating Techniques ..................................................................................... 32 3.2.3.1 Radiocarbon Dating .............................................................................. 32 3.2.3.2 Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) Dating .............................. 32 3.2.4 Oxcal Bayesian Statistical Age Modeling .................................................. 34 4 Results ....................................................................................................................... 35 4.1 Fault Zone Morphology Mapping ...................................................................... 35 4.1.1 Scarp Perpendicular Topographic Profiles ................................................. 36 4.1.2 Geologic and Geomorphic Field Mapping ................................................. 38 4.2 Water Moccasin Paleoseismic Site .................................................................... 44 4.2.1 Historic Irrigation Ditch Exposure ............................................................. 44 4.2.2 Water Moccasin Paleoseismic Trench Location ......................................... 45 4.2.3 Water Moccasin Trench Stratigraphy ......................................................... 47 4.2.4 Irrigation Ditch Stratigraphy ...................................................................... 48 4.3 Age Results ........................................................................................................ 52 4.3.1 Radiocarbon Dating ..................................................................................