Relative motion between the Caribbean and North American plates and related boundary zone deformation from a decade of GPS observations

被引:120
作者
Dixon, TH
Farina, F
DeMets, C
Jansma, P
Mann, P
Calais, E
机构
[1] Univ Miami, Rosenstiel Sch Marine & Atmospher Sci, Miami, FL 33149 USA
[2] CNRS, Inst Geodynam, F-91371 Verrieres Le Buisson, France
[3] Univ Wisconsin, Dept Geol & Geophys, Madison, WI 53706 USA
[4] Univ Puerto Rico, Dept Geol, Mayaguez, PR 00681 USA
[5] Univ Texas, Inst Geophys, Austin, TX 78759 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1029/97JB03575
中图分类号
P3 [地球物理学]; P59 [地球化学];
学科分类号
0708 ; 070902 ;
摘要
Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements in 1986, 1994, and 1995 at sites in Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Grand Turk define the velocity of the Caribbean plate relative to North America. The data show eastward motion of the Caribbean plate at a rate of 21 +/- 1 mm/yr (1 standard error) in the vicinity of southern Dominican Republic, a factor of 2 higher than the NUVEL-1A plate motion model prediction of 11 +/- 3 mm/yr. Independent measurements on San Andres Island, and an Euler vector derived from these data, also Suggest a rate that is much higher than the NUVEL-1A model. Available data, combined with simple elastic strain models, give the following slip rate estimates for major left-lateral faults in Hispaniola: (1) the North Hispaniola fault offshore the north coast of Hispaniola, 4 +/- 3 mm/yr; (2) the Septentrional fault in northern Dominican Republic, 8 +/- 3 mm/yr; and (3) the Enriquillo fault in southern Dominican Republic and Haiti, 8 +/- 4 mm yr. The relatively high plate motion rate and fault slip rates suggested by our study, combined with evidence for strain accumulation and historical seismicity, imply that seismic risk in the region may be higher than previous estimates based on low plate rate/low fault slip rate models and the relatively low rate of seismicity over the last century.
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页码:15157 / 15182
页数:26
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