MICROEARTHQUAKE INVESTIGATION OF THE MESA GEOTHERMAL ANOMALY, IMPERIAL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Abstract

Microearthquakes associated with the Mesa geothermal anomaly were recorded for five weeks during the summer of 1973 using an array of six portable, high‐gain seismographs equipped with vertical‐component 1-sec natural period seismometers. Background seismicity of the area is thus determined prior to development for geothermal power and water. The local seismicity changed considerably over the recording period. Most daily activity was characterized by only one or two potentially locatable events, while two microearthquake swarms of two‐ and three‐day duration included as many as 100 or more distinct local events per day. Hundreds of small events (nanoearthquakes), some clustered in swarms, were recorded by each seismograph; however, most were not detected on four or more seismograms so that hypocentral locations usually could not be determined. Locations were determined for 36 microearthquakes having epicenters situated in the [Formula: see text] areal extent of the geothermal anomaly. Focal depths ranged from near‐surface to about 8 km. More than half of the located events have hypocenters greater than the 4.0 km which is approximately the depth to crystalline basement. Stress associated with the Mesa geothermal anomaly is relieved by a combination of continuous microseismic activity and intermittent microearthquake swarms. Based on the results of the present study, a new right‐lateral strike‐slip fault, the Mesa fault, was defined. First motion studies indicate strike‐slip faulting although there is no surface expression of the fault. The northwest‐southeast trending Mesa fault is an active fault functioning as a conduit for rising geothermal fluids of the Mesa geothermal anomaly. This investigation is another demonstration that geothermal areas are characterized by enhanced microearthquake activity.