Geophysical interpretation of satellite laser ranging measurements of crustal movement in California

Abstract

As determined by satellite laser ranging the rate of contraction of a 900 km baseline between sites located near Quincy in northern California and San Diego in southern California is about 61–65 mm/yr with a formal uncertainty of about 10 mm/yr (Christodoulidis et al., 1985). The measured changes in baseline length are a manifestation of the relative motion between the North America and Pacific tectonic plates. This long baseline result is compared to measurements made by more conventional means on shorter baselines. Additional information based on seismiscity, geology, and theoretical modelling is also analyzed. Deformation lying within a few tens of kilometers about the major faults in southern California accounts for most, but not all, of the observed motion. Further motion is attributable to a broader-scale deformation in southern California. Data suggesting crustal movements north of the Garlock fault, in and near the southern Sierra Nevada and local motion at an observatory are also critically reviewed. The best estimates of overall motion indicated by ground observations lie between 40 and 60 mm/yr. This lies within one or two standard deviations of that deduced from satellite ranging but the possibility of some unresolved deficit cannot be entirely dismissed. The long time scale RM2 plate tectonic model of Minster and Jordan (1978) predicts a contraction between 47 and 53 mm/yr depending on the extension rate of the Basin and Range. Thus the ground based observations, SLR results, and RM2 rates differ at about the 10 mm/yr level but are not inconsistent with one another within the data and model uncertainties.