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Final Technical Report FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT Paleoseismic & Geophysical Evaluations to Improve Seismogenic Source Characterization of the Meers Fault, OK: Collaborative Research between Geological Sciences, Portland State University and the Oklahoma Geological Survey, University of Oklahoma Recipients: Department of Geology, Portland State University PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207-0751 Tel. (503) 725-3371 & Oklahoma Geological Survey, University of Oklahoma 100 East Boyd St. Suite N131, Norman, OK 73019 Tel. (405) 325-8611 Principal Investigators: Ashley R. Streig 1 & Jefferson Chang2 [email protected] 1, [email protected] Collaborators: Scott Bennett, Kris Hornsby, Shannon Mahan Keywords: Meers fault, Oklahoma; earthquake chronology and recurrence; rupture length. Program Element III U. S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Award Numbers G16AP00142 & G16AP00141 February 2018 Research supported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Department of the Interior, under USGS award numbers Award Numbers G16AP00142 & G16AP00141. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government. Award Numbers G16AP00142 & G16AP00141 Paleoseismic & Geophysical Evaluations to Improve Seismogenic Source Characterization of the Meers Fault, OK: Collaborative Research between Geological Sciences, Portland State University and the Oklahoma Geological Survey, University of Oklahoma Ashley R. Streig 1 & Jefferson Chang2 [email protected] 1, [email protected] ABSTRACT Characterizing the frequency of large earthquakes, and rupture behavior (single versus multi-section rupture) for an intraplate fault in southwestern Oklahoma is critical to understand how seismic hazard models for Oklahoma and the Central Eastern United States can be improved. Earthquake frequency, rupture area and length data are fundamental inputs for estimates of maximum earthquake magnitude and probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. The Meers Fault is poorly understood in terms of information such as earthquake recurrence, rupture length, and rupture area. New high resolution topography from lidar data and new paleoseismic studies reveal that the Holocene fault trace extends at least 6 km northwest of the previously mapped Holocene trace. Paleoseismic results from the Meers Fault reveal at least four surface rupturing earthquakes in the last 6,000 years, and at least two different fault rupture lengths. These new observations have interesting implications for more than one mode of strain release through surface fault rupture in this intraplate setting. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Previous Studies ........................................................................................................ 6 2.0 Lidar fault map ............................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Southeast trace .......................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Northwest trace ......................................................................................................... 8 3.0 Paleoseismic results ................................................................................................... 12 3.1 Southeast trace ........................................................................................................ 12 3.2 Northwest trace ....................................................................................................... 14 4.0 Results ........................................................................................................................ 19 4.1 14C & OSL Sample Selection .................................................................................. 19 4.2 Southeast trace - Dog House Site Samples ............................................................. 20 4.3 Northwest trace – Water Moccasin Site Samples ................................................... 23 4.4 OxCal Models for Dog House and Water Moccasin sites ..................................... 26 5.0 Significance of results ................................................................................................ 28 6.0 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 28 7.0 References .................................................................................................................. 29 7.0 Publications and Conference proceedings ................................................................. 30 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Summary of Earthquake Evidence Dog House site ........................................... 14 Table 2. Summary of Earthquake Evidence Water Moccasin site 19 Table 3. Radiocarbon Samples from Dog House site. ..................................................... 21 Table 4. OSL Samples from Dog House site. .................................................................. 22 Table 5. Radiocarbon Samples from Water Moccasin site. ............................................. 24 Table 6. OSL Samples from Water Moccasin site. ......................................................... 25 Table 7. OxCal Model Results Dog House site. .............................................................. 26 Table 8. OxCal Model Results Water Moccasin site. ...................................................... 28 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location map of the Meers Fault, southwestern Oklahoma ................................ 5 Figure 2. Slope-shade Southeastern trace .......................................................................... 5 Figure 3. Offset channels along the Southeast trace ........................................................... 6 Figure 4. Lidar strip map of the Meers Fault ...................................................................... 9 Figure 5. Lidar Map of Northwest trace ........................................................................... 10 Figure 6. 1942 Orthophoto Mosaic ................................................................................... 11 Figure 7. Photomosaic trench log Dog House site ............................................................ 13 Figure 8. Water Moccasin Trench site .............................................................................. 15 Figure 9. Water Moccasin site Stratigraphic Column ....................................................... 16 Figure 10. Photomosaic trench log East wall Water Moccasin site .................................. 17 Figure 11. Photomosaic trench log West wall Water Moccasin site ................................ 18 Figure 12. OxCal model Dog House site .......................................................................... 26 Figure 13. OxCal model Water Moccasin site .................................................................. 27 iii 1.0 INTRODUCTION The primary goal of this study was to improve the seismic source characterization for the northwestern and southeastern mapped sections of the Meers Fault. We employed a combination of geophysical, remote mapping, and paleoseismic techniques to improve maps of surface fault expression and the understanding of the timing of paleo-earthquakes on both the Northwest and Southeast Meers Fault sections. We conducted a detailed study combining active source seismic geophone surveys, high-resolution lidar fault mapping, paleoseismic excavations, and 14C and OSL age dating. Preliminary results from this investigation have improved information the spatial and temporal distribution of prehistoric surface rupturing earthquakes along the fault length. This report presents a new lidar derived map of the Meers Fault and results from two paleoseismic investigation sites on the Southeastern section and the poorly expressed Northwestern section of the fault. Lidar maps, paleoseismic trench logs, and age dating results for key stratigraphic units in the excavations are included in this final technical report. Geophysical study results are in progress. 1.1 Background The Meers Fault is the southwestern bounding fault along the northwest trending Frontal Wichita fault system that forms the boundary between the Wichita-Amarillo uplift to the southwest and the deep Anadarko sedimentary basin to the northeast (Harlton, 1963). The Wichita uplift coincides with the Precambrian to Early Cambrian Southern Oklahoma aulacogen, a failed rift zone that trends west-northwest across southern Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle (Budnik, 1987). The location and trend of the Frontal Wichita fault system show that modern crustal deformation is accommodated along pre-existing zones of crustal weakness (Jones-Cecil, 1995). The Meers Fault trends N60W (Figure 1), and is a reactivated fault within the failed Cambrian rift, and has left lateral-reverse sense of motion. The Meers Fault lacks historical seismicity, but has strong down to the southwest geomorphic expression and offsets Holocene deposits (Figure 2), indicating high late Quaternary slip rates greater than erosion or denudation
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