American Geophysical Union Become an AGU Member
Subscribe to AGU Journals		 AGU Home AGU Publications

Read Full Article (file size: 510071 bytes)    Cited by

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 31, L15S15, doi:10.1029/2003GL019378, 2004

Re-evaluation of heat flow data near Parkfield, CA: Evidence for a weak San Andreas Fault

Patrick M. Fulton

Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, USA


Demian M. Saffer

Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, USA


Robert N. Harris

Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, USA


Barbara A. Bekins

U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, USA


Abstract

Improved interpretations of the strength of the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield, CA based on thermal data require quantification of processes causing significant scatter and uncertainty in existing heat flow data. These effects include topographic refraction, heat advection by topographically-driven groundwater flow, and uncertainty in thermal conductivity. Here, we re-evaluate the heat flow data in this area by correcting for full 3-D terrain effects. We then investigate the potential role of groundwater flow in redistributing fault-generated heat, using numerical models of coupled heat and fluid flow for a wide range of hydrologic scenarios. We find that a large degree of the scatter in the data can be accounted for by 3-D terrain effects, and that for plausible groundwater flow scenarios frictional heat generated along a strong fault is unlikely to be redistributed by topographically-driven groundwater flow in a manner consistent with the 3-D corrected data.

Received 28 December 2003; accepted 5 March 2004; published 24 June 2004.

Index Terms: 8130 Tectonophysics: Heat generation and transport; 8150 Tectonophysics: Plate boundary—general (3040); 8164 Tectonophysics: Stresses—crust and lithosphere.

Read Full Article (file size: 510071 bytes)    Cited by

Citation: Fulton, P. M., D. M. Saffer, R. N. Harris, and B. A. Bekins (2004), Re-evaluation of heat flow data near Parkfield, CA: Evidence for a weak San Andreas Fault, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L15S15, doi:10.1029/2003GL019378.