Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2014

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geological Sciences

Committee Chair

Walter M. Szeliga

Second Committee Member

Timothy I. Melbourne

Third Committee Member

Anne E. Egger

Abstract

We use GPS measurements from 20 stations located in Iran, Pakistan, and Oman along with International Seismological Centre hypocentral locations to create a fault coupling model for the Makran subduction zone. The 3-D geometry of the megathrust fault is estimated from five profiles landward of the Makran trench. Continuous GPS on the Arabian plate show convergence of ~27 mm/year, and interseismic deformation is calculated using the back-slip method of Savage [ 1983]. We find the entire subduction zone appears to be accumulating stress uniformly from ~15-60 km depth and find no evidence of along-strike segmentation in strain accumulation, suggesting the Makran could generate megathrust earthquakes up to Mw = ~9 .0. Transient deformation events characteristic of Episodic Tremor and Slip (ETS) are observed on two stations that overlie the ~ 70 km plate interface, with direction, duration, and recurrence intervals similar to ETS-related transient deformation observed in Cascadia, Japan and elsewhere.

Comments

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