Award Date

5-2008

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geoscience

Advisor 1

Catherine M. Snelson, Chair

First Committee Member

Wanda J. Taylor

Second Committee Member

Eugene I. Smith

Third Committee Member

Michael G. Pravica

Abstract

The Black Hills fault (BHF) is a SE-dipping normal fault forming the northwestern structural boundary of the Eldorado basin, ∼20 km southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada (Langenheim and Schmidt, 1996). The fault offsets Holocene strata and is thus considered to be active (Fossett, 2005). Therefore, the BHF poses a significant seismic hazard to the greater Las Vegas area.

Fossett (2005) estimated that the BHF is capable of producing a M W 6.4 to 6.8 earthquake. However, this suggests a subsurface rupture length greater than the scarp length (Fossett, 2005). To test this hypothesis, remote sensing, geologic mapping, and high-resolution seismic reflection survey were utilized. The result is an interpretive geologic cross-section showing several SE-dipping normal faults on strike with the BHF. This implies that the BHF may be >6 km in length. In addition, several models are proposed to explain the anomalous orientation of the BHF relative to other normal faults in the area.

Keywords

Faults (Geology); Nevada – Black Hills fault; Nevada – Las Vegas Valley

Disciplines

Geology | Geophysics and Seismology | Tectonics and Structure

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Comments

Signatures have been redacted for privacy and security measures.

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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