Near-fault measurement of postseismic slip associated with the 1989 Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake

Abstract

Five small-aperture (0.5 to 7.7 m) quadrilaterals were installed across the San Andreas fault and newly formed extensional cracks shortly after the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta M7.1 earthquake. Two quadrilaterals were installed across the San Andreas fault near the southeast and northwest ends of the 1989 rupture, and three were installed across dominantly extensional cracks in the Summit Road area near the main-shock epicenter and off the San Andreas fault. Measurements of line-length changes from as early as 4 d up to 184 d after the earthquake in the nail quadrilaterals indicate a small amount of right-lateral postseismic slip on the San Andreas fault. The site near the southeast end of the 1989 afterstock zone on the San Andreas fault showed about 5±2 mm of postseismic right-lateral component of slip in addition to 23 mm of right-lateral coseismic movement. The site near the northwest end of aftershocks likewise showed about 5±2 mm of postseismic slip, but after only 5 mm of coseismic slip. Measurements at sites across extensional cracks indicate possible minor left-lateral postseismic slips, and possible extensional/contractional motion. No measurements were made of possible vertical movements. Sites on extensional cracks showed similarly small amounts of possible postscismic lateral slip, from ∼2 to 10 mm, even though coseismic lateral slips were much greater (up to 410 mm) than on the surface trace of the San Andreas fault. The small slip values, in spite of uncertainties, clearly show that the lack of coseismic surface slip associated with the earthquake was not followed by large postseismic slip.