Is the Rivera Fracture Zone a transform fault as currently accepted?
Michaud, F.; Bourgois, J. (1995). Is the Rivera Fracture Zone a transform fault as currently accepted? C. r. Acad. sci., Sér. 2, Sci. terre planètes 321(6): 521-528
In: Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences. Série IIA. Sciences de la Terre et des Planètes = Earth and Planetary Science. Gauthiers-Villars: Paris. ISSN 1251-8050; e-ISSN 1778-4107, more
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| Keywords |
Earth sciences > Geology > Tectonics > Plate tectonics
Geological structures > Faults > Transform faults
Physics > Mechanics > Kinematics
Topographic features > Submarine features > Fracture zones
ISE, East Pacific Rise, Rivera Fracture Zone [Marine Regions]; ISE, Mexico, California Gulf, Rivera Fracture Zone [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Abstract |
Swath bathymetry (SeaBeam) along with available earthquake slip vectors suggest the existence of three distinct rectilinear segments along the Rivera Fracture Zone; these three segments trend differently instead of delineating a continuous smallcircle segment. Therefore, the Rivera Fracture Zone is not a transform fault as currently accepted but an accomodation zone between two diferent spreading systems. The western segment, which trends N52 degree W, belongs to the San Andreas and Gulf of California transform system, the Eastern segment, trending N85 degree W, belongs to the East Pacific Rise system and the Central segment, trending N72 degree W, connects the Western and Eastern segments. |
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