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Evidence for a Listric Wasatch Fault From the 2020 Magna, Utah, Earthquake Sequence
  • +12
  • Guanning Pang,
  • Keith D. Koper,
  • Maria Mesimeri,
  • Kristine L. Pankow,
  • Ben Baker,
  • Jamie Farrell,
  • James Holt,
  • John Mark Hale,
  • Paul Roberson,
  • Relu Burlacu,
  • James C. Pechmann,
  • Katherine Whidden,
  • Monique Holt,
  • Amir Allam,
  • Christiopher DuRoss
Guanning Pang
University of Utah
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Keith D. Koper
University of Utah

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Maria Mesimeri
University of Utah
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Kristine L. Pankow
University of Utah
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Ben Baker
University of Utah
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Jamie Farrell
University of Utah
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James Holt
University of Utah
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John Mark Hale
University of Utah
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Paul Roberson
University of Utah
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Relu Burlacu
University of Utah
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James C. Pechmann
University of Utah
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Katherine Whidden
University of Utah
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Monique Holt
University of Utah
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Amir Allam
University of Utah
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Christiopher DuRoss
U.S. Geological Survey
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Abstract

The 18 March 2020 M 5.7 Magna earthquake near Salt Lake City, Utah, offers a rare glimpse into the subsurface geometry of the Wasatch fault system—one of the world’s longest active normal faults and a major source of seismic hazard in northern Utah. We analyze the Magna earthquake sequence and resolve oblique-normal slip on a shallow (30–35º) west-dipping fault at ~9–12 km depth. Combined with near-surface geological observations of steep dip (~70º), our results support a curved, or listric, fault shape. High-precision aftershock locations show the activation of multiple, low-angle (<30º) structures, indicating the existence of a complicated fault system. Our observations provide the first direct evidence for the deep structure of the Wasatch fault system, and suggest that ground shaking in the Salt Lake City region in future Wasatch fault earthquakes may be higher than previously estimated.