Gulf of California Rift Zone
Northernmost extension of the East Pacific Rise
The Gulf of California Rift Zone (GCRZ) is the northernmost extension of the East Pacific Rise which extends some 1,300 km (800 mi) from the mouth of the Gulf of California to the southern terminus of the San Andreas Fault at the Salton Sink.
The GCRZ is an incipient rift zone akin to the Red Sea Rift. In the GCRZ continental crust originally associated with the North American Plate has been pulled apart by tectonic forces and is being replaced by newly formed oceanic crust and seafloor spreading. The rifting has resulted in the transfer of the Baja California Peninsula to the Pacific Plate.
List of GCRZ transform faults
From north to south:
- Imperial Fault Zone
- Cerro Prieto Fault
- Ballenas Fault
- Partida Fault
- San Lorenzo Fault
- Guaymas Fault
- Carmen Fault
- Farallon Fault
- Atl Fault
- Pescadero Fault
- Tamayo Fault
List of GCRZ rift basins
From north to south:
- Brawley Seismic Zone
- Cerro Prieto
- Wagner Basin
- Consag Basin
- Adair-Tepoca Basin
- Tiburon Basin
- Delfin Basin
- San Pedro Martir Basin
- Guaymas Basin
- Carmen Basin
- Farallon Basin
- Pescadero Basin
- Alarcon Basin
References
- Clayton, W.R. & Trampert, J. & Rebollar, C. & Ritsema, Jeroen & Persaud, Patricia & Paulssen, J.A.M. & Pérez-Campos, Xyoli & Wettum, A. & Perez-Vertti, A. & DiLuccio, F.. (2004). The NARS-Baja seismic array in the Gulf of California rift zone. MARGINS Newslett. 13.
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Major seismically active faults of North America
(crosses national borders)
- Aleutian Trench (US–RU)
- Basin and Range Province (US–MX)
- Canadian Arctic Rift System (CA–GL)
- Cascadia subduction zone (US–CA)
- Clarendon-Linden fault system (US–CA)
- Denali Fault (US–CA)
- Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province (CA–US)
- Puget Sound faults (US–CA)
- Rio Grande rift (US–MX)
- San Andreas Fault (US–MX)
- Southern Great Lakes Seismic Zone (US–CA)
- Tintina Fault (US–CA)
Washington and Oregon | |
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California | |
Great Basin | |
Great Plains |
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Midwest | |
Appalachian Mountains and Atlantic Coast |
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- Cayman Trough
- Chixoy-Polochic Fault
- Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault zone (Cuba)
- Gulf of California Rift Zone
- Lesser Antilles subduction zone
- Middle America Trench (Central America)
- Motagua Fault (Central America)
- Pedro Miguel Fault
- Puerto Rico Trench