Center for Neotectonic Studies
Avenues of CNS Research
Physical Factors that Control Earthquake Rupture
Biasi, G. P. and S. G. Wesnousky (2020), Rupture Passing Probabilities at Fault Bends and Steps, With Application to Rupture Length Probabilities For Earthquake Early Warning, in progress
Anderson, J. G., G.B. Biasi, S. A.Angster, and S. G. Wesnousky (2020), Scaling relationships seismic moment and avergeslip of strike-slip earthquakes incorporating fault slip rate and maximum likelihood values of fault width and stress drop , request preprint available from author.
Biasi, G., and S. G. Wesnousky (2017) Bends and ends of surface ruptures, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 107, 6, 2543-2560 (PDF) (Suppl).
Biasi, G. P. and S. G. Wesnousky (2016), Steps and Gaps in Ground Ruptures: Empirical Bounds on Rupture Propagation, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 106, 3, 106, 3, 1110-1124. (PDF).
Wesnousky, S. G. and G. P. Biasi (2011), The length to which an earthquake will go to rupture, Bulletin of the Seismological Scoeity of America, 101, 1948-1950, doi: 10.1785/0120110013 ( PDF).
Lozos, J. Z., D. D. Oglesby, B. Duan, and S. G. Wesnousky (2011), The Effects of Double Fault Bends on Rupture Propagation: A Geometrical Parameter Study, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 101, 385–398, doi: 10.1785/0120100029 (PDF)
Wesnousky, S. G., (2008), Displacement and geometrical characteristics of earthquake surface ruptures: Issues and implications for seismic hazard analysis and the earthquake rupture process, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 98, 4, 1609-1632. (PDF - 4.5 MB) (E-Supplement01) (E-Supplement02 - many files) (E-Supplement03 -7.4 MB) (E-Supplement04 Table1) (E-Supplement04-Table2)(PDF - 38 MB).
Shaw, B. and S. G. Wesnousky (2008), Slip-Length Scaling in large earthquakes: The role of deep penetrating slip below the seismogenic layer, Bulletin of the Bulletin on the Seismological Society of America, 98, 4, 1633-1641. (PDF - 0.3 MB)
Hillers, G. and S. G. Wesnousky (2008), Scaling Relations of Strike Slip Earththquakes With Different Slip Rate Dependent Properties at Depth, Bulletin of the Bulletin on the Seismological Society of America, 98, 3, 1085-1101. (PDF - 5 MB)
King, G.C.P. and S. G. Wesnousky, (2007), Scaling of earthquake fault parameters for continental strike-slip earthquakes, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 97, 1833-1840, doi: 10.1785/0120070048 (PDF - 0.6 MB)
Wesnousky, S. G. (2006), Predicting the endpoints of earthquake ruptures, Nature, 444, 358-360, doi:10.1038/nature0525) (PDF - 0.23 MB) (accompanying discussion)
*Stirling, M. W., S. G. Wesnousky, and K. Shimazaki (1996), Fault Trace Complexity, Cumulative Slip, and the Shape of the Magnitude-frequency Distribution for Strike-slip faults: a global survey, Geophysical Journal International, 124, 833-868. (PDF - 14.0MB)
Wesnousky, S.G. (1990), Seismicity as a Function of Cumulative Geologic Offset: Some Observations from Southern California, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 80, 1374-1381. (PDF - 3.3MB)
Wesnousky, S.G. (1988), Seismological and Structural Evolution of Strike-Slip Faults, Nature, 335, 340-343. (PDF - 0.6MB)
Earthquake Faults and Neotectonics of the Walker Lane
Angster, S. A., S. G. Wesnousky, P. Figueredo, L. A. Owen, and T. Sawyer (2020), Quaternary active faults and folds of the northern Sacramento Valley: Accommodating contractional strain in the northern Sierra and southern Cascadia transition zone, in progress
*Pierce, I., S. G. Wesnousky, L. A. Owen, L. Xinnan, and M. Caffee, (2019), Accommodation of plate motion in an incipient strike-slip system the Central Walker Lane, Tectonics
Angster*, S. A., S. G. Wesnousky, P. Figueiredo, L. A. Owen, S. Hammer (2019), Late Quaternary slip rates for faults of the Central Walker Lane: Spatiotemporal strain release in a strike-slip fault system, Geosphere, v. 15, no. 5, p. 1460–1478, https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02088.1 (PDF)
*Li, X., Huang, W., Pierce, K. D., Angster, S. J., and S. G. Wesnousky (2017) Characterizing the Quaternary expression of active faulting along the Olinghouse, Carson, and Wabuska lineaments of the Walker Lane, Geosphere, Geosphere, v. 13, no. 6 doi:10.1130/GES01483.1 (PDF)
*Angster, S., Wesnousky, S. G., Huang, W., Kent, G., Nakata, T., and H. Goto, (2016), Application of UAV Photography to Refining the Slip Rate on the Pyramid Lake Fault Zone, Nevada, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 106, 785–798, April 2016, doi: 10.1785/0120150144. (PDF)
**Dong, S., G. Ucarkus, S. G. Wesnousky, J. Maloney, G. Kent, N. Driscoll, and R. Baskin, (2014), Strike-slip faulting along the Wassuk Range of the northern Walker Lane, Nevada, Geosphere, 10, 1, 40-48, 2015. (PDF
*Briggs, R. W., S. G. Wesnousky, J. N. Brune, M. D. Purvance, and S. A. Mahan (2012), Low footwall accelerations and variable surface rupture behavior on the Fort Sage Mountains fault, NE California. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 103, 1, 157-168 (PDF)
*Bormann, J. M., B. E. Surpless, M.W. Caffee, and S. G. Wesnousky (2012), Holocene earthquakes and late Pleistocene slip rate estimates on the Wassuk Range fault zone, Nevada, USA, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 102, 4, 1884-1891 (PDF)
Wesnousky, S. G., Bormann, J. M., Kreemer, C., Hammond, W. C., and J. N. Brune (2012), Neotectonics, Geodesy, Seismic Hazard in the northern Walker Lane of Western North America: Thirty kilometers of crustal shear and no strike-slip? Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 329-330, 133-140, DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2012.02.018. (PDF)
*Sarmiento, A. C., S. G. Wesnousky, and J. M. Bormann (2011), Paleoseismic trenches across the Carson and Sierra Nevada rangefronts in Antelope Valley, California and Reno, Nevada, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 101, 2542-2549, doi: 10.1785/0120100176 (PDF)
Wesnousky, S. G. and M. W. Caffee (2011), Rangebounding normal fault of Smith Valley, Nevada: Limits on age of last surface rupture earthquake and late Pleistocene rate of displacement, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 101, 1431-1437, doi: 10.1785/0120100238 (PDF)
*Turner, R., Koehler, R., Briggs, R. W., and S. G. Wesnousky (2008), Paleoseismic and slip-rate observations along the Honey Lake fault zone, northeastern California, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 98, 4, 1730-1736. (PDF - 0.7 MB))
Wesnousky, S. G. (2005), The San Andreas and Walker Lane fault systems, western North America: transpression, transtension, cumulative slip and the structural evolution of a major transform plate boundary (2005), Journal of Structural Geology, 27, 1505-1512. (PDF - 1.1 MB))
Wesnousky, S. G. (2005), Active faulting in the Walker Lane, Tectonics, 24, TC3009, doi:10.1029/2004TC001645
Briggs*, R. W. and S. G. Wesnousky (2005), Late Pleistocene and Holocene paleoearthquake activity of the Olinghouse fault zone, Nevada, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 95, 1301-1313. (PDF - 1.1 MB)
Briggs*, R. W., and S. G. Wesnousky (2004), Late-Pleistocene fault slip rate, earthquake recurrence, and recency of slip along the Pyramid Lake fault, northern Walker Lane belt, USA, Journal of Geophysical Research, doi: 10.1029/2003JB002717. (PDF - 1.0 MB)
*Oswald, J. A. and S. G. Wesnousky (2002). Neotectonics and Quaternary geology of the Hunter Mountain Fault Zone and Saline Valley Region, southeastern California, Geomorphology, v. 42/3 , 255-278. (PDF - 2.3MB)
Earthquake Faults and Neotectoncs of the Basin and Range
*Koehler, R. D. and S. G. Wesnousky (2011), Late Pleistocene regional extension rate derived from earthquake geology of late Quaternary faults across the Great Basin, Nevada, between 38.5° and 40°N latitude, Bulletin of the Geological Society of America Bulletin, 123, 631-650, doi: 10.1130/30111.1. (PDF)
Wesnousky, S. G., Barron*, A. D., Briggs*, R. W., Caskey**, S. J., Kumar*, S. and L. Owen (2005), Paleoseismic transect across the northern Great Basin, USA, Journal of Geophysical Research, 110, B05408, doi:10.1029/2004JB003283. (PDF - 2.0 MB)
Caskey*, S. J., Bell, J., Wesnousky, S. G., Ramelli, A.R. (2004), Historic surface faulting and paleoseismicity in the area of the 1954 Rainbow Mountain – Stillwater earthquake sequence, Central Nevada, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 94, 1255-1275. (PDF - 13.7MB)
Wesnousky, S. G. and C. H. Willoughby (2003) Neotectonic Note: The Ruby-East Humboldt Range, Northeastern Nevada, USA, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 93, 1345-1354. (PDF - 7.4MB)
Caskey, S. J. and S. G. Wesnousky (2000) Active Faulting and Stress Redistributions in the Dixie Valley, Beowawe, and Bradys Geothermal Fields: Implications for Geothermal Exploration in the Basin and Range, Proceedings, Twenty-Fifth Workshop on Gothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, January 24-16, SGP-TR-165. (PDF - 23.1MB)
*Caskey, J. and Wesnousky, S. G., (1997) Static Stress Changes and Earthquake Triggering during the 1954 Fairview Peak and Dixie Valley Earthquakes, Central Nevada , Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 87, 51-527
Geological Investigation of Great Himalayan Earthquakes
Wesnousky, S.G. (2020), Great pending Himalaya earthquake, in Progress
Wesnousky, S. G., Y. Kumahara, T. Nakata, D. Chamlagain, and P. Neupane (2019), Large himalayan frontal thrust paleoearthquake at Khayarmara in eastern Nepal, Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 174, May, 346-351. (PDF) (Suppl. Material)
Wesnousky, S. G., Y. Kumahara, T. Nakata, D. Chamlagain, and P. Neupane (2018), New observations disagree with previous interpretations of surface rupture along the Himalayan Frontal Thrust during the great 1934 Bihar-Nepal earthquake, Geophysical Research Letters, 45. https://doi.org/10.1002/2018GL077035 (PDF) (Suppl. Material)
Wesnousky, S. G., Y. Kumahara, D. Chamlagain, I. K. Pierce, T. Reedy, S. J. Angster, and B. Giri, (2017), Large paleoearthquake timing and displacement near Damak in eastern Nepal on the Himalayan Frontal Thrust, Geophy. Res. Lett., 44, 8219-8226. (PDF) (Supplementary Information)
*Li, X., Li, C., Zhang, P., Wesnousky, S.G., Zheng, W. Wang, X., and K. D. Pierce (2017) Paleoseismology and slip rate of the Western Tianjingshan Fault of NE Tibet, China, Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 146, 304-316.(PDF)
Wesnousky, S.G., Y. Kumahara, D. Chamlagain, I. Pierce, A. Karki, and D. Gautam (2017), Geological observations on large earthquakes along the Himalayan Frontal Fault near Kathmandu, Nepal, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 457, 366-375. (PDF) (Suppl. Material)
*Pierce, K. D., and S. G. Wesnousky (2016) Pierce, I., and S. G. Wesnousky (2016), On a flawed conclusion that the 1255 A.D. earthquake ruptured 800 km of the Himalayan Frontal Thrust east of Kathmandu, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, doi:10.1002/2016GL070426. (PDF) (Suppl. Material) (Reviews).
Jayangondaperumal, R. S. G. Wesnousky, and B. K. Chaudhari (2011), Near-surface expression of early to late Holocene displacement along the northeastern Himalayan frontal thrust at Marbang Korong Creek,Arunachal Pradesh, India, Bulletin of Seismological Society of America, 101, 6, 3060-3064. 2011 (PDF)
**Kumar, S., S. G. Wesnousky, R. Jayangondaperumal, T. Nakata, Y. Kumahara, and V. Singh, (2010), Paleoseismological evidence of surface faulting along the northeastern Himalayan front, India; timing, size, and spatial extent of great earthquakes, Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 115. Article Number B12422, doi:10.1029/2009JB006789 (PDF - 1.5 MB)
Kondo, H., T. Nakata, S. S. Akhtar, S. G. Wesnousky, N. Sugito, H. Kaneda, A. M. Khan, H. Tsutsumi, W. Khattak, A. B. Kausar (2008), Long recurrence interval of faulting beyond the 2005 Kashmir earthquake around the northwestern margin of the Indo-Asian collision zone, GEOLOGY, 36, 731-734. (PDF - 8.4 MB)
Kaneda H., T. Nakata, H. Tsutsumi, H. Kondo, N. Sugito, Y. Awata, S. S. Akhtar, A. Majid, W. Khattak, A. A. Awan, R. S. Yeats, A. H., M. Ashraf, S. G. Wesnousky, and A. B. Kausar (2008), Surface rupture of the 2005 Kashmir, Pakistan, earthquake, and its active tectonic implications, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 98, 521-557. (PDF - 4.9 MB)
*Kumar, S., Wesnousky, S. G., Rockwell, T. K., Briggs, R. W., Thakur, V. C., and R. Jayangondaperumal (2006), Paleoseismic evidence of great surface-rupture earthquakes along the Indian Himalaya. Journal of Geophysical Research, doi:10.1029/2004JB003309. (PDF - 7.6 MB)
Kumar*, S., Wesnousky, S. G., Rockwell, T. K., Ragona, D., Thakur, V. C., and G. G. Seitz, (2001), Earthquake recurrence and rupture dynamics of Himalayan Frontal Thrust, India, SCIENCE, 294, December 14, 2328-2331. (PDF - 0.9MB)
Wesnousky, S. G., Kumar, S., Mohindra, R., and Thakur, V. C. (1999). Holocene slip rate of the Himalayan Frontal Thrust of India, Observations near Dehra Dun: Tectonics, v. 18, p. 967-976. (PDF - 6.9MB)
Glaciations, Pluvial Lakes, Soils, and Isostatic Rebound in the Basin and Range, the Sierra Nevada, and Venezuela
Wesnousky, S,G. and L A. Owen (2020), Glacial History and Uplift of the Sierra Nevada, in progress.
*Pierce, I. K., S. G., Wesnousky, and L. A. Owen, (2017), Terrestrial cosmogenic surface exposure dating of moraines at Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada, California, and slip rate estimate for the West Tahoe Fault, Geomorphology, 298, 63-71. (PDF)
Wesnousky, S.G., R. W. Briggs, M. Caffee, R. Ryerson, R. Finkel, and L. A. Owen (2016), Terrestrial cosmogenic surface exposure dating of glacial and associated landforms in the Ruby Mountains of Central Nevada and along the northeastern flank of the Sierra Nevada, Geomorphology, 268, 72-81, 2016 (PDF)
Wesnousky, S.G., Aranguren, R., Rengifo, M., Owen, L.A., Caffee, M.W., Murari, M.K., Pérez, O.J. (2012), Toward quantifying geomorphic rates of crustal displacement, landscape development, and the age of glaciation in the Venezuelan Andes. Geomorphology, 141-142, 99-113. (PDF)
Bills, B. G., Adams*, K. A., Wesnousky, S. G. (2007), Viscosity structure of the crust and upper mantle in western Nevada from isostatic rebound patterns of Lake Lahontan shorelines, Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, B06405, doi:10.1029/2005JB003941. (PDF - 1.7MB)
Briggs*, R. W., Wesnousky, S. G., and K. D. Adams (2005), Late Pleistocene and late Holocene lake highstands in the Pyramid Lake subbasin of Lake Lahontan, Nevada, USA, Quaternary Research 64, 27-263. (PDF - 14.6 MB) (PDF)
*Adams, K. D., S. G. Wesnousky, and B. G. Bills (1999) Isostatic Rebound, Active Faulting, and Potential Geomorphic Effects in the Lake Lahontan Basin, Nevada and California, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 111, 1739-1756. (PDF - 1.3MB)
*Adams, K. D., and S. G. Wesnousky (1999) The Lake Lahontan Highstand: Age, Surficial Characteristics, Soil Development, and Regional Correlation, in press, Geomorphology, 30, 357-392. (PDF - 5.0MB)
*Adams K. D., and S. G. Wesnousky (1998) Shoreline Processes and the Age of the Lake Lahontan Highstand in the Jessup Embayment, Nevada, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 110, 1318-1332, 1998. (PDF - 1.0MB)
Earthquakes, Quaternary Faults, and Seismic Hazard
Anderson, J. G., Koehler, R.D. and many others,(2019) A seismic hazards overview of the urban regions of Nevada: Recent advancements and research directions, Seismological Research Letters, 90, 4, 1577-1583. (PDF)
Wesnousky, S. G. (2010), Biases in the estimation of earthquake recurrence and seismic hazard from geologic data, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 100, 5a, 2287-2292. (PDF)
*##Stirling, M. W., S. G. Wesnousky, and K. (1998) Seismic Hazard of New Zealand: A Multidisciplinary Approach, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 41, 355-375, 1998. (PDF - 13.9MB)
*Stirling M. W. and S. G. Wesnousky (1998) Comparison of of Recent Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Maps in Southern California, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 88, 855-861. (PDF - 5.0MB)
Wesnousky, S. G., (1997) Presidential Address: Seismic Hazard Analysis, Earthquake Prediction, and the SSA, Seismological Research Letters, 68, 763-765 . (PDF - 1.9MB)
Wesnousky, S. G. (1986), Earthquakes, Quaternary Faults, and Seismic Hazard in California, J. Geophys. Res., 91, 12587-12631. (PDF)
Wesnousky, S. G., C. H. Scholz, K. Shimazaki, and T. Matsuda (1984), Integration of Geological and Seismological Data for the Analysis of Seismic Hazard: A Case Study of Japan, Bull. Seism. Soc. Amer., 74, 687-708. (PDF - 13.8MB)
Crustal Strain, Stress, and Coupled Fault Systems
Guang, Y., S. G. Wesnousky, and G. Ekstrom (1993), Slip Partitioning along Major Convergent Plate Boundaries, Pure and Applied Geophysics, 140, 183-210. (PDF - 11.8MB)
Wesnousky, S.G., and C. H. Jones (1994,) Oblique Slip, Slip Partitioning, Spatial and Temporal Changes in the Regional Stress Field, and the Relative Strength of Active Faults in the Basin and Range, Western United States, GEOLOGY, 22, 1031-1034. (PDF - 1.1MB)
Jones, C.H., and S.G. Wesnousky (1992), Variation in Strength and Slip Rate along the San Andreas Fault System, SCIENCE, 256, 83-86. (PDF - 1.0MB)
Chasing Earthquakes
*Angster, S., E. J. Fielding, Wesnousky, S. G., Pierce, I., Chmlagain,D., Gautam, D., Upreti, B. N., Kumahara, Y., Nakata, T., (2015), Field Reconnaissance after the 25 April 2015 M 7.8 Gorkha Earthquake, Seismological Research Letters, 86, 6, 1506-1513, 2015. (PDF)
Wesnousky, S. G., Seeber, L., Rockwell, T. K., Thakur, V., Briggs, R., Kumar, S., Ragona, D., (2001), Eight Days in Bhuj: Field report bearing on surface rupture and genesis of the January 26, 2001 Republic Day earthquake of India, Seismological Research Letters, 72, 514-524. (PDF)
