Structural variation along the Devil's Mountain fault zone, northwestern Washington

Abstract

The eastern Juan de Fuca Strait is subject to long-term, north–south-oriented shortening. The observed deformation is interpreted to result from the northward motion of the Oregon block, which is being driven north by oblique subduction of the oceanic Juan de Fuca plate. Seismic data, acquired during the Seismic Hazards Investigation in Puget Sound survey are used, with coincident first-arrival tomographic velocities, to interpret structural variation along the Devil's Mountain fault zone in the eastern Juan de Fuca Strait. The Primary fault of the Devil's Mountain fault zone developed at the northern boundary of the Everett basin, during north–south-oriented Tertiary compression. Interpretation of seismic reflection data suggests that, based on their similar geometry including the large magnitude of pre-Tertiary basement offset, the Primary fault of the Devil's Mountain fault west of ~122.95°W and the Utsalady Point fault represent the main fault of the Tertiary Devil's Mountain fault zone. The Tertiary Primary fault west of ~122.95°W was probably kinematically linked to faults to the east (Utsalady Point, Devil's Mountain, and another to the south), by an oblique north–northeast-trending transfer zone or ramp. Left-lateral transpression controlled the Quaternary evolution of the Devil's Mountain fault zone. Quaternary Primary fault offsets are smaller to the east of ~122.95°W, suggesting that stress here was in part accommodated by the prevalent oblique compressional structures to the north. Holocene deformation has focussed on the Devil's Mountain, Utsalady Point, and Strawberry Point faults to the east of ~122.8° but has not affected the Utsalady Point fault to the west of ~122.8°W.