Electromagnetic Imaging of Fluids in the San Andreas Fault; FINAL

OAK 270 - Magnetotelluric data were collected on six profiles across the san Andreas Fault at Cholame,Parkfield, and Hollister in Central California. On each profile, high electrical resistivities were imaged west of the fault, and are due to granitic rocks of the Salinian block. East of the fault, lower electrical resistivities are associated with rocks of the Fanciscan formation. On the seismically active Parkfield and Hollister segments, a region of low resistivity was found in the fault zone that extends to a depth of several kilometers. This is due to a zone of fracturing (the damaged zone) that has been infiltrated by saline ground water. The shallowest micro-earthquakers occur at a depth that is coincident with the base of the low resistivity wedge. This strongly suggests that above this depth, the fault rocks are too weak to accumulate sufficient stress for earthquake rupture to occur and fault motion is accommodated through aseismic creep