Relative motion between the Caribbean and North American plates and related boundary zone deformation from a decade of GPS observations

Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth

Volumn 103, Issue 7, 1998, Pages 15157-15182

  Dixon, Timothy H ^a   Farina, Frederic ^a   DeMets, Charles ^b   Jansma, Pamela ^c   Mann, Paul ^d   Calais, Eric ^e  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO   (Puerto Rico)

^d UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN   (United States)

^e CNRS   (France)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CARIBBEAN PLATE; DEFORMATION; GPS; NORTH AMERICAN PLATE; PLATE MOTION;

EID: 0032503918     PISSN: 21699313     EISSN: 21699356     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1029/97jb03575     Document Type: Article

References (86)

1. Argus, D. F., and R. G. Gordon, Pacific-North America plate motion from very long baseline interferometry compared with motion inferred from magnetic anomalies, transform faults, and earthquake slip vectors, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 17,315-17,324, 1990.
2. Argus, D. F., and R. G. Gordon, Tests of the rigid-plate hypothesis and bounds on intraplate deformation using geodetic data from very long baseline interferometry, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 13,555-13,572, 1996.
3. Argus, D. F., and M. B. Heflin, Plate motion and crustal deformation estimated with geodetic data from the Global Positioning System, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 1973-1976 1995.
4. Blewitt, G., M. B. Heflin, F. H. Webb, U. J. Lindqwister, and R. P. Malla, Global coordinates with centimeter accuracy in the International Terrestrial Reference Frame using GPS, Geophys. Res. Lett, 19, 853-856, 1992.
5. Boucher, C., Z. Altamimi and L. Duhem, Results and analysis of the ITRF93, Tech. Note 18, 313 pp. Int. Earth Rotation Serv., Paris, France, 1994.
6. Boucher, C., Z. Altamimi, M. Feissel, and P. Sillard, Results and analysis of the ITRF-94, Tech. Note 20, 191 pp. Int. Earth Rotation Serv., Paris, France, 1996.
7. Bryant, M. A., and C. E. Noll, NASA Space Geodesy Program, Catalog of Site Information, NASA TM-4482, 655 pp., 1993.
8. Burke, K. P., J. Fox, and A.M. Celal Sengor, Bouyant ocean floor and the evolution of the Caribbean, J. Geophys. Res., 83, 3949-3954, 1978.
9. Burke, K. P., J. Grippi, and A.M. Celal Sengor, Neogene structures in Jamaica and the tectonic style of the Caribbean plate boundary zone, J. Geol., 88, 375-386, 1980.
10. Byrne, D. B., G. Suarez, and W. R. McCann, Muertos Trough subduction-microplate tectonics in the northern Caribbean, Nature, 317, 420-421, 1985.
11. Calais, E., and B. Mercier de Lepinay, From transtension to transpression along the northern Caribbean plate boundary off Cuba: Implications for the recent motion of the Caribbean plate, Tectonophysics, 116, 329-350, 1991.
12. Calais, E., and B. Mercier de Lepinay, Semiquantitative modeling of strain and kinematics along the Caribbean-North American strike slip plate boundary zone, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 8293-8308, 1993.
13. Calais, E., N. Bethoux, and B. Mercier de Lepinay, From transcurrent faulting to frontal subduction: A seismotectonic study of the northern Caribbean plate boundary from Cuba to Puerto Rico, Tectonics, 11, 114-123, 1992.
14. Case, J., and T. Holcombe, Geologic map of the Caribbean region, U.S. Geol. Surv. Misc. Invest. Map, I-1100, 1980.
15. Cazenave, A., P. Gegout, L. Soudarin, K. Dominh, F. Barlier, P. Exertier, and Y. Boudon, Geodetic results from Lageos 1 and DORIS satellite data, in Contributions of Space Geodesy to Geodynamics; Crustal Dynamics, Geodyn. Ser., vol. 23. edited by D. Smith and D. Turcotte., pp. 81-98, AGU, Washington, D.C., 1993.
16. Chen, G. and T. A. Herring, Effects of atmospheric azimuthal asymetry on the analysis of space geodetic data, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 20,489-20,502, 1997.
17. DeMets, C., Earthquake slip directions and estimates of present-day plate motions, J. Geophys Res., 98, 6703-6714, 1993.
18. DeMets, C., R. G. Gordon, D. F. Argus, and S. Stein, Current plate motions, Geophys. J. Int., 101, 425-478, 1990.
19. DeMets, C., R. G. Gordon, D. F. Argus, and S. Stein, Effect of recent revisions to the geomagnetic time scale on estimates of current plate motion, Geophys. Res. Lett., 21, 2191-2194, 1994.
20. Deng, J., and L. R. Sykes, Determination of Euler pole for contemporary relative motion of Caribbean and North American plates using slip vectors of interplate earthquakes, Tectonics, 14, 39-53, 1995.
21. Dewey, J. D., and G. Suarez, Seismotectonics of Middle America, in Neotectonics of North America, edited by D. B. Slemmons, M. D. Zoback, and D. Blackwell, pp. 309-321, Geol. Soc. of Am., Boulder, Colo., 1991.
22. Dixon, T. H., GPS measurement of relative motion of the Cocos and Caribbean plates and strain accumulation across the middle America trench, Geophys. Res. Lett., 20, 2167-2170, 1993.
23. Dixon, T. H., and A. Mao, A GPS estimate of relative motion between North and South America, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 535-538, 1997.
24. Dixon, T. H., and S. Kornreich Wolf, Some tests of wet tropospheric calibration for the Casa Uno Global Positioning System Experiment, Geophys. Res. Lett., 17, 203-206, 1990.
25. Dixon, T. H., G. Gonzalez, S. M. Lichten, and E. Katsigris, First epoch geodetic measurements with the Global Positioning System across the northern Caribbean plate boundary zone, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 2397-2415, 1991a.
26. Dixon, T. H., G. Gonzalez, S. M. Lichten, D. M. Tralli, G. Ness, and P. Dauphin, A preliminary determination of Pacific-North America relative motion in the southern Gulf of California using the Global Positioning System, Geophys. Res Lett., 18, 861-864, 1991b.
27. Dixon, T. H., S. Robaudo, J. Lee, and M. C. Reheis, Constraints on present-day Basin and Range deformation from space geodesy, Tectonics, 14, 755-772, 1995.
28. Dixon, T. H., A. Mao, and S. Stein, How rigid is the stable interior of the North American plate, Geophys. Res. Lett, 23, 3035-3038, 1996.
29. Dixon, T. H. A. Mao. M. Bursik, M. Heflin, J. Langbein, R. Stein, and F. Webb, Continuous monitoring of surface deformation at Long Valley Caldera, California, with GPS, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 12,017-12,034, 1997.
30. Dolan, J. F., and D. J. WaId, Comment on "The 1946 Hispaniola earthquakes and the tectonics of the North America-Caribbean plate boundary zone, northeastern Hispaniola" by R. M. Russo and A. Villasenor, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 785-792, 1997.
31. Dziewonski, A. M., and J. H. Woodhouse, An experiment in systematic study of global seismicity in centroid moment solutions for 201 moderate to large earthquakes of 1981, J. Geophys. Res., 88, 3247-3271, 1983.
32. Feigl, K., et al., Space geodetic measurement of crustal deformation in central and southern California, 1984-1992, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 21,677-21,712, 1993.
33. Fink, L. K., and C. G. A. Harrison, Paleomagnetic investigations of selected lava units on Puerto Rico, Proceedings, 6th Caribbean Geological Conference, p. 379, Margarita, Venezuela, 1972.
34. Frankel, A., A composite focal mechanism for microearthquakes along the northeastern border of the Caribbean plate, Geophys. Res. Lett., 9, 511-514, 1982.
35. Heflin, M., et al., Global geodesy using GPS without fiducial sites. Geophys. Res. Lett., 19, 131-134, 1992.
36. Holcombe, T. L., P. R. Vogt, J. E. Mathews, and R. R. Murchison, Evidence for sea floor spreading in the Cayman Trough, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 20, 357-371, 1973.
37. Jany, I., K. M. Scanlon, and A. Mauffret, Geological interpretation of combined Seabeam, Gloria, and seismic data from Anegada Passage (Virgin Islands, North Caribbean), Mar. Geophys. Res., 12, 173-196 1990.
38. Johnson, H. O., and D. C. Agnew, Monument motion and measurement of crustal velocities, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 2905-2908, 1995.
39. Jordan, T. H., The present-day motions of the Caribbean plate, J. Geophys. Res., 80, 4433-4439, 1975.
40. Kellogg, J. N., and T. H. Dixon, Central and South America GPS geodesy-CASA Uno, Geophys. Res. Lett., 17, 195-198, 1990.
41. Ladd, J. W., J. L. Worzel, and J. S. Watkins, Multifold seismic reflection records from the northern Venezuela basin and north slope of Muertos Trench, in Island Arcs, Deep Sea Trenches and Back-Arc Basins, Maurice Ewing Ser., vol. 1, edited by M. Talwani and W.C. Pitman III, pp., 41-56, AGU, Washington, D.C., 1977.
42. Langbein, J., and H. Johnson, Correlated errors in geodetic time series: Implications for time-dependent deformation, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 591-603, 1997.
43. Larson, K. M., J. T. Freymueller, and S. Philipsen, Global plate velocities from the Global Positioning System, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 9961-9981, 1997.
44. Larue, D. K., J. Joyce, and H. F. Ryan, Neotectonics of the Puerto Rico Trench: Extensional tectonism and forearc subsidence, in Transactions, 12th Caribbean Geological Conference, edited by D. Larue and G. Draper, pp. 231-247, Miami Geol. Soc., Miami, Fla., 1990.
45. Lichten, S. M., Estimation and filtering for high precision GPS applications, Man. Geod., 15, 159-176, 1990.
46. Lisowski, M., J. C. Savage, and W. H. Prescott, The velocity field along the San Andreas fault in central and southern California, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 8369-8389, 1991.
47. Lundgren, P. R., and R. M. Russo, Finite element modeling of crustal deformation in the North American-Caribbean plate boundary zone, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 11,317-11,328, 1996.
48. MacDonald, K. C., and T. L. Holcombe, Inversion of magnetic anomalies and sea-floor spreading in the Cayman Trough, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 40, 407-414, 1978.
49. MacMillan, D. S., C. Ma, J. W. Ryan, and T. A. Clark, VLBI measurement of Caribbean plate motion, EOS: Trans. Am. Geophys. U, 78, S114, 1997.
50. Malfait, B., and M. G. Dinkelman, Circum-Caribbean tectonic and igneous activity and the evolution of the Caribbean plate, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 83, 251-272, 1972.
51. Mann, P., and K. Burke, Neotectonics of the Caribbean, Rev. Geophys., 22, 309-362, 1984.
52. Mann, P., P. McLaughlin, and C. Cooper, Geology of the Azua and Enriquillo basins, Dominican Republic, 2, Structure and tectonics, in Geologic and Tectonic Development of the North America-Caribbean Plate Boundary in Hispaniola, edited by P. Mann, G. Draper, and J. F. Lewis, Spec. Pap. Geol. Soc. Am., 262, 367-389, 1991.
53. Mann, P., F.W. Taylor, R. Edwards, and T.L. Ku, Actively evolving microplate formation by oblique collision and sideways motion along strike-slip faults: An example from the northeastern Caribbean plate margin, Tectonophysics 246, 1-69, 1995.
54. Masson, D. G., and K. M. Scanlon, The neotectonic setting of Puerto Rico, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 103, 144-154, 1991.
55. Mauffret, A., and I. Jany, Collision et tectonique d'expulsion le long de la frontiere Nord Caribe, Oceanol. Acta, 10, 97-116, 1991.
56. Molnar, P., and L. R. Sykes, Tectonics of the Caribbean and Middle America regions from focal mechanisms and seismicity, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 80, 1639-1684, 1969.
57. Pollitz, F., Postseismic relaxation theory on the spherical earth, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 82, 422-453, 1992.
58. Pollitz, F., and S. Sacks, Fault model of the 1891 Nobi earthquake from historic triangulation and leveling, J. Phys. Earth. 42, 1-43, 1994.
59. Pollitz, F., and T. H. Dixon, GPS measurements across the northern Caribbean plate boundary zone: Impact of postseismic relaxation following historic earthquakes, Geophys. Res. Lett., in press, 1998.
60. Prentice, C., P. Mann, F. W. Taylor, G. Burr, and S. Valastro, Paleoseismicity of the North American plate boundary (Septentrional fault), Dominican Republic, Geology, 21, 49-52, 1993.
61. Prentice, C., P. Mann, G. Burr, and L. Pena, Timing and size of the most recent earthquake along the central Septentrional fault, Dominican Republic, US. Geol. Surv. Open File Rep., 94-568, 158 pp., 1994.
62. Reid, J.A., P.W. Plumley, and J. H. Schellekens, Paleomagnetic evidence for Late Miocene counterclockwise rotation of north coast carbonate sequence, Puerto Rico, Geophys. Res. Lett., 18, 565-568, 1991.
63. Robaudo, S., and C. G. A. Harrison, Plate tectonics from SLR and VLBI data, in Contributions of Space Geodesy to Geodynamics: Crustal Dynamics, Geodyn. Ser., vol. 23, edited by D.E. Smith and D.L. Turcotte, pp. 51-71, AGU, Washington, D.C., 1993.
64. Robbins, J.W., D.E. Smith, and C. Ma, Horizontal crustal deformation and large scale plate motins inferred from space geodetic techniques, in Contributions of Space Geodesy to Geodynamics: Crustal Dynamics, Geodyn. Ser., vol. 23, edited by D.E. Smith and D.L. Turcotte, pp. 21-36, AGU, Washington, D.C., 1993.
65. Rosencrantz, E., Opening of the Cayman Trough and evolution of the northern Caribbean plate boundary, Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs, 27, A-153, 1995.
66. Rosencrantz, E., and P. Mann, SeaMarc-II mapping of transform faults in the Cayman Trough, Caribbean Sea, Geology, 19, 690-693, 1991.
67. Rosencrantz, E., M. I. Ross, and J. G. Sclater, Age and spreading history of the Cayman Trough as determined from depth, heat flow, and magnetic anomalies, J. Geophys. Res., 93, 2141-2157, 1988.
68. Russo, R. M., and A. Villasenor, The 1946 Hispaniola earthquakes and the tectonics of the North America-Caribbean plate boundary zone, northeastern Hispaniola. J. Geophys. Res., 100, 6265-6280, 1995.
69. Russo, R. M., and A. Villasenor, Reply. J. Geophys. Res., 102, 793-802, 1997.
70. Scherer, J., Great earthquakes in the island of Haiti, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 2, 161-180, 1912.
71. Smith, D. E., R. Kolenkiewicz, P. J. Dunn, J. W. Robbins, M. H. Torrence, S. Klosko, R. G. Williamson, E. C. Pavlis, N. B. Douglas, and S. K. Fricke, Tectonic motion and deformation from satellite laser ranging to LAGEOS, J. Geophys Res., 95, 22,013-22041, 1990.
72. Smith, W. H. F., and D. T. Sandwell, Global sea floor topography from satellite altimetry and ship depth soundings, Science, 277, 1956-1961, 1997.
73. Speed, R. C., and D. K. Larue, Extension and transtension in the plate boundary zone of the northeastern Caribbean, Geophys. Res. Lett., 18, 573-576, 1991.
74. Stein, S. and R. G. Gordon, Statistical tests of additional plate boundaries from plae motion inversions, Earth Planet Sci. Lett., 69, 401-412, 1984.
75. Stein, S., C. DeMets, R. G. Gordon, J. Brodholt, D. Argus, J. F. Engeln, P. Lundgren, C. Stein, D. Wiens, and D. Woods, A test of alternative Caribbean plate relative motion models, J. Geophys. Res., 93, 3041-3050, 1988.
76. Sykes, L. R., W. R. McCann, and A. L. Kafka, Motion of the Caribbean plate during the last 7 million years and implications for earlier Cenozoic movements, J. Geophys. Res., 87, 10,656-10,676, 1982.
77. Taber, S., The great fault troughs of the Antilles, J. Geol., 30, 89-114, 1922.
78. Taylor, F. W., P. Mann, S. Valastro, and K. Burke, Stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating of a subaerially exposed Holocene coral reef, Dominican Republic, J. Geol., 93, 311-332, 1985.
79. Van Fossen, M. C., J. E. T. Channell, and J. H. Schellekens, Paleomagnetic evidence for Tertiary anticlockwise rotation in southwest Puerto Rico, Geophys. Res. Lett., 16, 819-822, 1989.
80. Ward, S. N., Pacific-North America plate motions: New results from very long baseline interferometry. J. Geophys. Res., 95, 21,965-21,981, 1990.
81. Wdowinski, S., Y. Bock, J. Zhang, P. Feng, and J. Genrich, Southern California permanent GPS geodetic array: Spatial filtering of daily positions for estimating coseismic and postseismic displacements induced by the 1992 Landers earthquake, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 18,057-18,070, 1997.
82. Wessel, P., and W. H. F. Smith, New version of generic mapping tools released, Eos Trans. AGU., 76, 329, 1995.
83. White, R. A., Tectonic implications of upper-crustal seismicity in Central America, in Neotectonics of North America, edited by D. B. Slemmons, M. D. Zoback, and D. Blackwell, pp. 323-338, Geol. Soc. of Am., Boulder, Colo., 1991.
84. White, R. A., and D. H. Harlow, Destructive upper-crustal earthquakes of Central America since 1900, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 83, 1115-1142, 1993.
85. Zhang, J., Y. Bock, H. Johnson, P. Feng, S. Williams, J. Genrich, S. Wdowinski, and J. Behr, Southern California permanent GPS geodetic array: Error analysis of daily position estimates and site velocities, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 18,035-18,055, 1997.
86. Zumberge, J. F., M. Heflin, D. Jefferson, M. Watkins, and F. Webb, Precise point positioning for efficient and robust analysis of GPS data from large networks, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 5005-5017, 1997.