alpshop2022-31
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-alpshop2022-31
15th Emile Argand Conference on Alpine Geological Studies
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Finding Quaternary Seismogenic Activity Along the Eastern Periadriatic Fault System: Dating of Fault Gouges via Electron Spin Resonance

Erick Prince1, Sumiko Tsukamoto2, Christoph Grützner1, Marko Vrabec3, and Kamil Ustaszewski1
Erick Prince et al.
  • 1Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Institute of Geological Sciences, Structural Geology & Tectonics, Jena, Germany (erick.prince@uni-jena.de)
  • 2Leibniz-Institut für Angewandte Geophysik - LIAG Hannover, Germany
  • 3University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Department of Geology, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The Periadriatic Fault System (PAF) is among the most important post-collisional structures of the Alps; it accommodated between 150-300 km of right-lateral strike-slip motion between the European and Adriatic plates from about 35 until 15 Ma. The scarcity of instrumental and historical seismicity on the easternmost segment of the fault is intriguing, especially when compared to nearby structures in the adjacent Southern Alps. Through this project, we aim to show which segments accommodated seismotectonic deformation during the Quaternary by applying Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating to fault gouges produced by the fault system. The method is especially useful for dating shear heating during earthquake activity at near-surface conditions due to its dating range (~104  ~106 years) ) and low closing temperature (< 100°C). During our field campaigns, we acquired structural data and collected 19 fault gouge samples from 15 localities along the PAF, the Labot/Lavanttal Fault, and the Šoštanj Fault. We measured the ESR signals from the Ti and Al centers following the additive and regenerative protocols on 60 mg aliquots of quartz, and compared the measurements between different grain size fractions. Here, we present our preliminary results from select localities, suggesting Quaternary earthquake activity along the fault system.

How to cite: Prince, E., Tsukamoto, S., Grützner, C., Vrabec, M., and Ustaszewski, K.: Finding Quaternary Seismogenic Activity Along the Eastern Periadriatic Fault System: Dating of Fault Gouges via Electron Spin Resonance, 15th Emile Argand Conference on Alpine Geological Studies, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 12–14 Sep 2022, alpshop2022-31, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-alpshop2022-31, 2022.