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，内华达州米娜镇附近的蒙特克里斯托山脉发生M6.5级地震，该事件通过地震学与大地测量观测仪器获得了极为完备的观测记录。该区域的干旱环境也为地表破裂的精细野外填绘工作提供了有利条件。本研究整合多套独立数据集，旨在展示这套丰富观测资料所蕴含的教育与研究价值。我们构建了一系列震源深度滑移模型，这些模型与卫星大地测量数据、余震分布以及填绘得到的地表破裂特征均保持一致。研究同时表明，模拟得到的最大滑移深度，与定义脆韧性转换带（brittle-ductile transition）深度的热流数据及石英流变学实验结果吻合度极佳。蒙特克里斯托山脉地震案例同时提示，针对沃克莱恩带与东加利福尼亚剪切带这类快速演化构造区域内的地震，或许需要采用全新的地震危险性评估方法。