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Regional stress field in the Lesser Antilles between Guadeloupe and Barbuda Islands
Author(s) -
Julien Philippe,
Bonneton JeanRoger
Publication year - 1989
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/gl016i011p01313
Subject(s) - stress field , geology , seismology , lithosphere , induced seismicity , crust , homogeneous , focal mechanism , stress (linguistics) , geophysics , tectonics , physics , linguistics , philosophy , finite element method , thermodynamics
Microtectonic and extensometric measurements on the island of Basse‐Terre in Guadeloupe are coherent with a homogeneous stress system (Julien and Bonneton, 1984). In order to compare the stress field obtained from the deep seismicity and the stress directions deduced from superficial observations, a method for determining the aspect ratio and the principal directions of the regional stress field from a set of focal mechanisms has been used (Julien and Cornet, 1987). When applied to a group of large earthquakes, this method provides means for computing the stress field in a lithospheric block. The inversion of the focal mechanisms located in the eastern part of the crust in the Caribbean plate between the Guadeloupe and the Barbuda islands shows a maximum principal stress oriented nearly horizontally in the direction N 120°E. These results are in full agreement with microtectonic measurements and observed deformations. This direction corresponds to the convergence direction of the western Atlantic plate towards the Caribbean plate.