The May 15, 2020 M 6.5 Monte Cristo Range, Nevada, earthquake: eyes in the sky, boots on the ground, and a chance for students to learn

The M 6.5 earthquake that occurred in the Monte Cristo Range near Mina, Nevada on 15 May 2020 was exceptionally well-recorded with both seismic and geodetic instrumentation. The arid nature of the region also facilitated detailed ground mapping of the surface rupture. Here we integrate several independent data sets to illustrate the educational and research opportunities afforded by these rich data sets. We construct a series of models for slip at depth that are consistent with the satellite-derived geodetic data, the distribution of aftershocks, and the mapped surface rupture. We also show that the modelled depth of maximum slip is in good agreement with heat flow and laboratory data on quartz rheology defining the depth of the brittle-ductile transition. The Monte Cristo Range earthquake also suggests new approaches to seismic hazard assessment may be required for earthquakes in rapidly evolving tectonic regions such as the Walker Lane and Eastern California shear zone.

2020年5月15日发生在内华达州米娜附近蒙特克里斯托山脉的M6.5级地震，借助地震仪器与大地测量仪器获取了极为详尽的观测记录。该区域的干旱环境也为地表破裂的精细化地面测绘提供了有利条件。本研究整合多组独立数据集，以展现此类丰富数据所具备的教学与科研价值。我们构建了一系列深部滑动模型，这些模型与卫星反演得到的大地测量数据、余震分布特征以及已测绘的地表破裂均保持一致。研究同时证实，模拟得到的最大滑动深度，与限定脆性-韧性转换带深度的热流数据及石英流变学实验数据契合度极佳。此次蒙特克里斯托山脉地震事件还提示，针对沃克莱恩（Walker Lane）与东加利福尼亚剪切带这类快速演化的构造区域内发生的地震，或许需要探索新的地震危险性评估方法。