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Rapid rotations about a vertical axis in a collisional setting revealed by the Palu Fault, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Author(s) -
Stevens C.,
McCaffrey R.,
Bock Y.,
Genrich J.,
Subarya C.,
Puntodewo S. S. O.,
Vigny C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl008344
Subject(s) - geology , vertical axis , seismology , geodesy , fault (geology) , geometry , mathematics
Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements from 1992 to 1995 indicate that the left‐lateral Palu fault in central Sulawesi slips at a rate of 38±8 mm/a with a locking depth between 2 and 8 km. From the measured slip rate and the historic seismicity of the fault, we estimate that the Palu fault currently has stored enough strain to produce a M w >7 earthquake. The Palu and other nearby faults accommodate rapid clockwise rotation of nearly 4°/Ma of E Sulawesi relative to eastern Sunda. The rotation of east Sulawesi transfers E‐W shortening between the Pacific and Eurasian plates to N‐S subduction of the Celebes Basin beneath Sulawesi.