Newport-Inglewood-Rose Canyon fault zone, south Los Angeles Basin section (Class A) No. 127b
Last Review Date: 1999-06-01
Compiled in cooperation with the California Geological Survey
citation for this record: Treiman, J.A., and Lundberg, M., compilers, 1999, Fault number 127b, Newport-Inglewood-Rose Canyon fault zone, south Los Angeles Basin section, in Quaternary fault and fold database of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey website, https://earthquakes.usgs.gov/hazards/qfaults, accessed 04/19/2024 12:30 AM.
| Synopsis |
General:
Data on this fault zone is variable. Fault locations onshore and in some limited offshore areas are generally well located. The large central portion of the fault zone is offshore and less well defined. Urbanization in the San Diego area has also somewhat limited the accurate location of some of the fault strands. The northern onshore portion is demonstrably Holocene based on numerous geotechnical studies as well as the historic Long Beach earthquake. The southern onshore portion, through San Diego, is also demonstrably active based on geotechnical and research studies. The intermediate offshore portion is presumed Holocene based on sparse evidence of displacement of presumed young Holocene sediments offshore as well as its continuity to the better-defined onshore sections. There are three detailed study sites along the fault zone. Grant and others (1997 #1366) reported evidence for 3–5 earthquakes in the past 11.7 ka, but stated that the recurrence interval varied from 1,200 yr to 3,000 yr. Slip rate is not fully constrained, but appears to be approximately 1.0±0.5 mm/yr in the north, increasing to 1.5±0.5 mm/yr in the south. Sections: This fault has 7 sections. Section designations after Fischer and Mills (1991 #6468) who designated three segments offshore, two segments onshore south of La Jolla and one southern segment within the Los Angeles basin (thereby implying a northern, 7th segment as well). Sections were distinguished based on asperities (bends), steps and seismicity. The division of the Los Angeles basin part of the fault zone into two segments is based on slight differences in geometry (discussed by several workers, including Wright (1991 #5950), seismicity differences (Hauksson, 1987 #6475), and the subsurface extent of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake rupture (Wesnousky, 1986 #5305; Hauksson and Gross, 1991 #6476). Fischer (1992 #6467) designates one additional segment offshore. Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities (1995 #4945) and Petersen and others (1996 #4860) identify three sections: Newport-Inglewood, Newport-Inglewood offshore and Rose Canyon (the latter including offshore faults north to Oceanside). |
| Name comments |
General: Entire fault zone referred to as Newport-Inglewood-Rose Canyon fault zone by Greene and others (1979 #6470).
Newport-Inglewood fault: onshore structural zone first recognized as a zone of folding by Mendenhall (1905 #6488). Hamlin (1918 #6473) associated seismicity and faulting with the zone; first mapped and named by Taber (1920 #6491) as the Inglewood-Newport-San Onofre fault; called Newport-Inglewood fault by Hoots (1931 #5921). Eaton (1933 #6463) was first to suggest continuity to Rose Canyon fault in the San Diego area; offshore portion was called the South Coast Offshore fault by utility consultants (Southern California Edison Co. and San Diego Gas and Electric Co., 1972 #6490), and the South Coast Offshore Zone of Deformation by Woodward-Clyde Consultants (1979 #6496).
Rose Canyon fault: Fairbanks (1893 #6466) suggested presence of fault and Ellis and Lee (1919 #6465) were the first to show part of the fault on a map. Hanna (1926 #6474) referred to the Soledad Mountain fault; Hertlein and Grant (1939 #6477) were the first to refer to the Rose Canyon fault; Kennedy (1975 #6478) and Kennedy and others (1975 #6480) mapped the fault in greater detail. See sections 127f and g for additional fault strands. Section: Section name from Fischer and Mills (1991 #6468); includes Cherry-Hill fault, Northeast Flank fault, Reservoir Hill fault, Seal Beach fault, and North and South Branch Newport-Inglewood faults; North Branch fault has also been called the High School fault; section extends southeastward from the Dominguez Hills to Newport Beach. Fault ID: Refers to numbers 434 (Potrero, Inglewood and Avalon-Compton faults), 439 (South Branch, Newport-Inglewood fault zone), 440 (North Branch, Newport-Inglewood fault zone), 441 (Cherry-Hill, Reservoir Hill and Seal Beach faults), 465 (Newport Inglewood-Rose Canyon fault zone, offshore), 487 (Mission Bay fault), 490 (Coronado fault, offshore), 490A (Spanish Bight fault, offshore), 491 (Rose Canyon fault zone), 492 (Old Town fault), and 493A (Silver Strand fault, offshore) of Jennings (1994 #2878). Also refers to numbers 30 (Newport-Inglewood, north section) and 31 (Newport-Inglewood, south section) of Hecker and others (1998 #6118), and to numbers 25 (Inglewood fault), 26 (Potrero fault), 27 (Avalon-Compton fault), 28 (Cherry-Hill fault), 29 (Reservoir Hill fault), 30 (Newport-Inglewood North Branch), 31 (Newport-Inglewood, South Branch), and 32 (Faults offshore of San Clemente) of Ziony and Yerkes (1985 #5931). |
| County(s) and State(s) |
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA |
| Physiographic province(s) |
PACIFIC BORDER |
| Reliability of location |
Good Compiled at 1:24,000; 1:31,680; 1:48,000 and unspecified scale. Comments: Location of fault from Qt_flt_ver_3-0_Final_WGS84_polyline.shp (Bryant, W.A., written communication to K.Haller, August 15, 2017) attributed to Bryant (1985, 1988), California Department of Water Resources (1966), Guptil and Heath (1981), Morton and Miller(1981), and Poland and others (1956).
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| Geologic setting |
This fault zone is a major structural element within the Peninsular Ranges. Both onshore, to the north, and in the offshore region the fault zone separates contrasting Mesozoic basement terrane-Catalina Schist on the west and metasediments, intrusives and volcanics to the east (Yerkes and others, 1965 #5930). The onshore Los Angeles basin reach of the fault zone is marked by a northwesterly trending line of generally en echelon anticlinal folds and faults that extends 40 miles from Newport Mesa to the Cheviot Hills along the western side of the Los Angeles Basin (Barrows, 1974 #6460); the zone is tentatively extended northward to the Santa Monica [101] and Hollywood [102] faults by Wright (1991 #5950). The onshore structural zone is an important petroleum-producing region. The offshore reach of the fault zone continues southeastward until offshore of Oceanside where it bends and steps and continues on a more south-southeast trend, paralleling the coastline. The Rose Canyon fault [127e, 127f] comes onshore at La Jolla and is characterized by zones of compression and extension associated with restraining and releasing bends in the faults. The fault zone is locally more than 1 km wide and is composed of both dip-slip and strike-slip en echelon faults that together extend from La Jolla Cove 50 km to San Diego Bay and beyond on the south (Treiman, 1993 #6494).
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| Length (km) | This section is 34 km of a total fault length of 209 km. |
| Average strike | N51°W (for section) versus N29°W,N27°W,N31°W (for whole fault) |
| Sense of movement |
Right lateral
Comments: Legg and Kennedy (1991 #6486) report pure dextral strike slip; supported by seismicity as reported by Hauksson (1990 #6879).
|
| Dip Direction |
NE; SW
Comments: Dip assumed by Petersen and others (1996 #4860); generally high-angle to near vertical, but locally dips either NE or SW (Wright, 1991 #6878).
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| Paleoseismology studies |
Numerous consulting studies (on file with the California Geological Survey, Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning project) have addressed location and recency of faulting. Site 127-2: Huntington site by Grant and others (1997 #1366) involved drilling and analyzing 72 CPT borings, spaced between 7 to 30 m apart across the North Branch fault just northwest of Huntington Mesa. Grant and others (1997 #1366) identified at least three and possibly five surface-rupturing earthquakes in the past 11.7 ka. Dates of the events were established using 14C dates from samples collected from continuously cored borings.
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| Geomorphic expression |
Large-scale features include a line of hills underlain by en echelon anticlinal folds and faults; small- to intermediate-scale features include scarps, pressure ridges, deflected drainages, linear drainages, closed depressions and troughs (Bryant, 1988 #6461).
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| Age of faulted surficial deposits | Holocene alluvial deposits and soils; late Pleistocene Inglewood Formation; late Pleistocene marine and non-marine terrace deposits; Pleistocene Lakewood Formation (Bryant, 1988 #6461). |
| Historic earthquake | |
| Most recent prehistoric deformation |
latest Quaternary (<15 ka)
Comments: Timing of most recent paleoevent is poorly constrained. Historic events (without surface rupture) include 1933 M6.3 Long Beach earthquake and perhaps 1812 (12/08/1812); no details available on individual or most recent pre-historic events.
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| Recurrence interval |
1,200–3,000 yr
Comments: Recurrence interval reported by Freeman and others (1992 #6469) and Grant and others (1997 #1366). Grant and others (1997 #1366) recognized at least three and as many as five surface-rupturing earthquakes in the past 11.7 ka at the Huntington site. The two oldest Holocene events occurred within approximately 1,200 yr of each other, but at least 3,000 yr passed between early and middle Holocene events. |
| Slip-rate category |
Between 1.0 and 5.0 mm/yr
Comments: 0.5 mm/yr long-term horizontal geologic slip-rate derived from offset facies in oil well logs (Freeman and others, 1992 #6469); Wesnousky (1986 #5305) and Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities (1995 #4945) assume 1.0 mm/yr; Clark and others (1984 #2876) reported 0.6–1.2 mm/yr vertical slip rate at Bolsa Chica Mesa which may not be representative of total slip on the deeper seismogenic structure. |
| Date and Compiler(s) |
1999
Jerome A. Treiman, California Geological Survey Matthew Lundberg, California Geological Survey |
| References |
#6460 Barrows, A.G., 1974, A review of the geology and earthquake history of the Newport-Inglewood structural zone, southern California: California Division of Mines and Geology Special Report 114, 115 p. #7992 Bryant, W.A., 1985, Southern Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone, southern Los Angeles and northern Orange counties, California: California Division of Mines and Geology Fault Evaluation Report 172, in Fault Evaluation Reports Prepared Under the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act, Region 2 – Southern California: California Geological Survey CGS CD 2002-02 (2002). #6461 Bryant, W.A., 1988, Recently active traces of the Newport-Inglewood fault zone, Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California: California Department of Conservation, Division of Mines & Geology Open-File Report 88-14, 15 p., scale 1:24,000. #8031 California Department of Water Resources (CDWR), 1966, Santa Ana gap salinity barrier, Orange County: California Department of Water Resources Bulletin 147-1, 178 p., 15 plates #2876 Clark, M.M., Harms, K.H., Lienkaemper, J.J., Harwood, D.S., Lajoie, K.R., Matti, J.C., Perkins, J.A., Rymer, M.J., Sarna-Wojcicki, A.M., Sharp, R.V., Sims, J.D., Tinsley, J.C., III, and Ziony, J.I., 1984, Preliminary slip rate table and map of late Quaternary faults of California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 84-106, 12 p., 5 plates, scale 1:1,000,000. #6463 Eaton, J.E., 1933, Long Beach, California earthquake of March 10, 1933: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 17, p. 732-738. #6465 Ellis, A.J., and Lee, C.H., 1919, Geology and groundwaters of the western part of San Diego County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 446, 321 p. #6466 Fairbanks, H.W., 1893, Geology of San Diego County-Also portions of Orange and San Bernardino Counties: California Mining Bureau 11th Annual Report, p. 76-120. #6468 Fischer, P.J., and Mills, G.I., 1991, The offshore Newport-Inglewood-Rose Canyon fault zone, California: structure, segmentation and tectonics, in Abbott, P.L., and Elliott, W.J., eds., Environmental perils San Diego region: San Diego Association of Geologists, October 20, 1991, p. 17-36. #6469 Freeman, S.T., Heath, E.G., Guptill, P.D., and Waggoner, J.T., 1992, Seismic hazard assessment-Newport-Inglewood fault zone, in Pipkin, B.W., and Proctor, R.J., eds., Engineering geology practice in southern California: Association of Engineering Geologists, v. 4, p. 211-231. #1366 Grant, L.B., Waggoner, J.T., Rockwell, T.K., and von Stein, C., 1997, Paleoseismicity of the north branch of the Newport-Inglewood fault zone in Huntington Beach, California, from cone penetrometer test data: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 87, p. 277-293. #6470 Greene, H.G., Bailey, K.A., Clarke, S.H., Ziony, J.I., and Kennedy, M.P., 1979, Implications of fault patterns of the inner California continental borderland between San Pedro and San Diego, in Abbott, P.L., and Elliot, W.J., eds., Earthquakes and other perils, San Diego region: San Diego Association of Geologists, Geological Society of America field trip, November, 1979, p. 21–28. #6472 Guptil, P.D., and Heath, E.G., 1981, Surface faulting along the Newport-Inglewood zone of deformation: California Geology, v. 34, no. 7, p. 142-148. #6473 Hamlin, H., 1918, Earthquakes in southern California: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 8, p. 20-24. #6474 Hanna, M.A., 1926, Geology of the La Jolla quadrangle, California: University of California Publications, Bulletin of the Department of Geological Science, v. 16, no. 7, p. 187-246. #6475 Hauksson, E., 1987, Seismotectonics of the Newport-Inglewood fault zone in the Los Angeles basin, southern California: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 77, p. 539-561. #6879 Hauksson, E., 1990, Earthquakes, faulting, and stress in the Los Angeles basin: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 95, no. B10, p. 15,365-15,394. #6476 Hauksson, E., and Gross, S., 1991, Source parameters of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 81, p. 81-98. #6118 Hecker, S., Kendrick, K.J., Ponti, D.J., and Hamilton, J.C., 1998, Fault map and database for southern California, Long Beach 30'x60' quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-129, http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/seismology/scfaults/lb/index.html. #6477 Hertlein, L.G., and Grant, U.S., IV, 1939, Geology and oil possibilities of southwestern San Diego County: California Journal of Mines and Geology, v. 35, no. 1, p. 57-78. #5921 Hoots, H.W., 1931, Geology of the eastern part of the Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 165-C, p. 83-134, scale 1:24,000. #2878 Jennings, C.W., 1994, Fault activity map of California and adjacent areas, with locations of recent volcanic eruptions: California Division of Mines and Geology Geologic Data Map 6, 92 p., 2 pls., scale 1:750,000. #6478 Kennedy, M.P., 1975, Geology of the western San Diego metropolitan area, California-Del Mar, La Jolla, and Point Loma quadrangles, in Geology of the San Diego metropolitan area, California: California Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 200, p. 9-39. #6480 Kennedy, M.P., Tan, S.S., Chapman, R.H., and Chase, G.W., 1975, Character and recency of faulting, San Diego metropolitan area, California: California Division of Mines and Geology Special Report 123, 33 p, 2 plates, map scale 1:50,000. #6486 Legg, M.R., and Kennedy, M.P., 1991, Oblique divergence and convergence in the California continental borderland, in Abbott, P.L., and Elliott, W.J., eds., Environmental perils San Diego region: San Diego Association of Geologists, October 20, 1991, p. 1-16. #6488 Mendenhall, W.C., 1905, Development of underground waters in the western coastal plain region of southern California: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper 139, 105 p. #8215 Morton, P.K., and Miller, R.V., 1981, Geologic map of Orange County, California, showing mines and mineral deposits: Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 204, 1 plate, scale 1:48,000. #4860 Petersen, M.D., Bryant, W.A., Cramer, C.H., Cao, T., Reichle, M.S., Frankel, A.D., Lienkaemper, J.J., McCrory, P.A., and Schwartz, D.P., 1996, Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for the State of California: California Department of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology Open-File Report 96-08 (also U.S. Geological Open-File Report 96-706), 33 p. #8231 Poland, J.F., Piper, A.M., and others, 1956, Ground-water geology of the coastal zone, Long Beach-Santa Ana area, California: U.S. Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 1109, map scale 1:31,680. #6490 Southern California Edison Co. and San Diego Gas and Electric Co., 1972, Southern California Edison Co. and San Diego Gas and Electric Co., [1970-72], San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, units 2 and 3, preliminary safety analysis report: Technical report to U.S Atomic Energy Commission, 5 vols., amendments 1-15. #6491 Taber, S., 1920, The Inglewood earthquake in southern California, June 21,1920: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 10, p. 129-145. #6494 Treiman, J.A., 1993, The Rose Canyon fault zone, southern California: California Department of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology Open-File Report 93-02, 45 p., 3 pls., scale 1:100,00 and 1:24,000. #5305 Wesnousky, S.G., 1986, Earthquakes, Quaternary faults, and seismic hazards in California: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 91, no. B12, p. 12,587-12,631. #6496 Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1979, Report of the evaluation of maximum earthquake and site ground motion parameters associated with the Offshore Zone of Deformation, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station: Technical report to Southern California Edison, June 1979, 30 p. #4945 Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities, 1995, Seismic hazards in southern California—Probable earthquakes, 1994 to 2024: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 85, no. 2, p. 379-439. #5950 Wright, T.L., 1991, Structural geology and tectonic evolution of the Los Angeles Basin, California, in Biddle, K.T., ed., Active margin basin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 52, p. 35–134. #5930 Yerkes, R.F., McCulloh, T.H., Schoellhamer, J.E., and Vedder, J.G., 1965, Geology of the Los Angeles Basin, California—An introduction: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 420-A, 57 p. #5931 Ziony, J.I., and Yerkes, R.F., 1985, Evaluating earthquake and surface faulting potential, in Ziony, J.I., ed., Evaluating earthquake hazards in the Los Angeles region—An earth-science perspective: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1360, p. 43–91. |