Heat flow, stress, and rate of slip along the San Andreas Fault, California

Abstract

The absence of a heat flow anomaly greater than ∼0.3 µcal/cm2/sec associated with the San Andreas fault is used to estimate the upper limit for the steady state or initial shear stress. Under the assumption that the long-term rate of motion along the fault is 5 cm/yr and occurs primarily in the form of creep, this upper limit is about 100 bars. If the motion is primarily accomplished by faulting during large earthquakes and if the frictional stress is equal to the final stress as suggested by E. Orowan (1960), the upper limit is estimated to be about 200 bars. Without Orowan's assumption, the estimation of the upper limit is about 250 bars, based on earthquake energy-magnitude-moment relations. If the long-term rate of motion along the San Andreas fault is only ∼2 cm/yr, these results are increased to 250, 350, and 400 bars, respectively.