- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Ocean Admin Bldg 104
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon, 97331 USA
http://activetectonics.coas.oregonstate.edu/ - 1+ 541 737-5214
Chris Goldfinger
Oregon State University, CEOAS, Faculty Member
- Tectonics, Paleoseismology (Earth Sciences), Earthquakes, Seafloor mapping and interpretation from sonar data, Seismology, Geomorphology and Active tectonics, and 20 moreGeodesy and Global Positioning System (GPS) and Their Applications In Earth Sciences, Subduction Zone Processes, Strike-Slip Faulting, Marine Habitat Mapping, San Andreas Fault, Submarine landslides, Cascadia Subduction Zone, Earth Sciences, Sedimentology, Geochronology, Marine Geology, Radiocarbon Dating (Earth Sciences), Submarine Channels, Cohesive Sediment, Geology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Structural Geology, Geophysics, and Remote sensing and GIS applications in Landscape Researchedit
- Dr. Chris Goldfinger is a marine geologist and geophysicist with a focus on great earthquakes and structure of plate ... moreDr. Chris Goldfinger is a marine geologist and geophysicist with a focus on great earthquakes and structure of plate boundary fault zones around the world. He has experience with deep submersibles, sidescan sonar, seismic reflection, and other marine geophysical tools on over 45 oceanographic cruises over the last 30 years. He is currently working on great subduction earthquakes along the Cascadia, NE Japan, the Caribbean, and Sumatran margins, as well as the Northern San Andreas Fault off northern California. He primarily uses the evidence for earthquakes found in deep-sea sediments. This work is developing methods for submarine paleoseismology in locales where plate boundaries are submerged. Goldfinger is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and was the recipient of the 2016 GSA Kirk Bryan Award for Quaternary Geology. Goldfinger is a Professor of Marine Geology and received his PhD from Oregon State University in 1994. He enjoys windsurfing in the Columbia River Gorge, and aerobatic flying.edit
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Abstract We are now testing correlation between turbidite event records at widely separated sites in Cascadia with radiocarbon ages and physical properties of the core sediments. We focus here on physical property correlations between... more
Abstract We are now testing correlation between turbidite event records at widely separated sites in Cascadia with radiocarbon ages and physical properties of the core sediments. We focus here on physical property correlations between sites to test for connections between sites independent of radiocarbon ages. Gamma density, magnetic susceptibility, and P-wave velocity data were routinely collected for all cores at a 2 cm interval. We find that a good stratigraphic correlation can be made between Juan de Fuca Channel (JDF, a tributary of ...
Research Interests: Geology and Seismology
Abstract Marine turbidite stratigraphy, onshore paleoseismic records of tsunami sand beds and co-seismic subsidence (Atwater and Hemphill-Haley, 1997; Kelsey et al., 2002; Witter et al., 2003) and tsunami sands of Japan (Satake et al.,... more
Abstract Marine turbidite stratigraphy, onshore paleoseismic records of tsunami sand beds and co-seismic subsidence (Atwater and Hemphill-Haley, 1997; Kelsey et al., 2002; Witter et al., 2003) and tsunami sands of Japan (Satake et al., 1996) all show evidence for great earthquakes (M~ 9) on the Cascadia Subduction Zone. When a great earthquake shakes 1000 kilometers of the Cascadia margin, sediment failures occur in all tributary canyons and resulting turbidity currents travel down the canyon systems and deposit synchronous ...
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Abstract Submarine channels along the Cascadia convergent margin have recorded a Holocene history of turbidity currents, in the form of turbidites, most likely triggered by great earthquakes. Turbidite systems from four regional sites,... more
Abstract Submarine channels along the Cascadia convergent margin have recorded a Holocene history of turbidity currents, in the form of turbidites, most likely triggered by great earthquakes. Turbidite systems from four regional sites, the Rogue, Astoria, Juan de Fuca, and Cascadia Channels, contain 13 correlative post Mazama turbidites (T1-13) based on the first occurrence of Mazama Ash (MA) at 7344+/-130 cal. yr BP below T 13 and another T18 datum of 9744+/-70 cal. yr BP. Based on these datums and tests of synchronicity, ...
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Research Interests: Geology and Seismology
Research Interests: Geology and Seismology
Abstract Two piston cores and one box core from Noyo Channel, adjacent to the northern San Andreas Fault, show a cyclic record of turbidite beds, with thirty-one turbidite beds above a Holocene/Pleistocene faunal"... more
Abstract Two piston cores and one box core from Noyo Channel, adjacent to the northern San Andreas Fault, show a cyclic record of turbidite beds, with thirty-one turbidite beds above a Holocene/Pleistocene faunal" datum". Thus far, we have determined ages for 20 events including the uppermost 5 events from cores 49PC/TC and adjacent box core 50BC using AMS radiocarbon methods. The uppermost event returns a" modern" age, which we interpret is likely the 1906 San Andreas earthquake. The penultimate event returns an ...
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Abstract We have been investigating the recurrence pattern of Great Earthquakes along the Cascadia margin using the record of turbidites deposited after margin-wide shaking during great earthquakes. We have previously suggested that... more
Abstract We have been investigating the recurrence pattern of Great Earthquakes along the Cascadia margin using the record of turbidites deposited after margin-wide shaking during great earthquakes. We have previously suggested that virtually all the turbidite record is the result of great earthquakes, based on identical numbers of events in widely separated cores, and relative dating techniques that demonstrate synchroneity of the triggering mechanism. We are now testing this correlation with radiocarbon ages and physical properties of the ...
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Research Interests: Geology, Tectonics, Seismology, Multidisciplinary, Geomorphology and Active tectonics, and 13 moreLate Pleistocene, Subduction, Continental Slope, Submarine, Geophysical, Oregon, North American, Seismic reflection, Oblique Case, Plate tectonic, Strike Slip Tectonics, Continental Margin, and Data augmentation
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ABSTRACT The recent 2011 Mw=9.0 Tohoku Japan, and the 2004 Mw=9.15 Sumatra-Andaman superquakes have humbled many in earthquake research. Neither region was thought capable of earthquakes exceeding Mw~8.4. These events have pointed out... more
ABSTRACT The recent 2011 Mw=9.0 Tohoku Japan, and the 2004 Mw=9.15 Sumatra-Andaman superquakes have humbled many in earthquake research. Neither region was thought capable of earthquakes exceeding Mw~8.4. These events have pointed out clearly that we no longer have a fundamental model for discrimination of M9 producing regions. At a minimum, the Tohoku earthquake implies that other comparable subduction zones, and perhaps others (McCaffrey et al., 2008) may be capable of similar behavior. A significant number of subduction zones have relatively old oceanic plates being subducted that were previously discounted as M9 producers. These include much of South America north of the 1960 event (possibly represented by the 1868 Arica Chile earthquake; (Dorbath et al., 1990), the remainder of the Japan trench, the Kuriles, the western Aleutians, the Philippine, Manila and Sulu trenches, Java, the Makran and Hikurangi, Antilles and others. Any or all of these subduction systems may be capable of generating earthquakes much larger than known or expected today. Our perspective on this issue is clearly hampered by short historical and even shorter instrumental records. Paleoseismology offers an avenue, though labor intensive, to address the hazard question directly and mostly without reference to model assumptions about the underlying mechanics of subduction zones. With a long-term record, hazard estimates can move forward, while the interesting patterns observed may be investigated. For example, in Sumatra, Sieh et al. (2008) observed long term cycling of the subduction zone. Similarly, Cascadia also appears to follow a pattern of energy cycling where some events release less energy while others release more energy than available from plate convergence (slip deficit) and may have borrowed stored energy from previous cycles. This suggests that energy release in the earthquakes is not closely tied to recurrence intervals, but also that it is not likely to be a Poisson process. The highest energy states may result in either a very large earthquake, or a series of smaller earthquakes to relieve stress. Long records at other subduction zones such as Sumatra, Hikurangi and elsewhere are beginning to reveal the actual long-term behavior of these areas.
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Subduction zones produce some of Earth’s most devastating geological events. Recent eruptions of Mount St. Helens and great earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan and Sumatra provide stark examples of the destructive power of... more
Subduction zones produce some of Earth’s most devastating geological events. Recent eruptions of Mount St. Helens and great earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan and Sumatra provide stark examples of the destructive power of subduction-related hazards. In the Cascadia subduction zone, large earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions have occurred in the past and geologic records imply that these events will occur in the future. As the population and infrastructure increase in the region, resilience to these natural hazards requires a detailed scientific understanding of the geologic forces and processes involved, combined with a society motivated to mitigate risks.
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Publisher Summary Many of the largest earthquakes are fundamentally marine events generated by submarine subduction zones or other plate boundary earthquakes and volcano-tectonic explosions. A large proportion of the world's... more
Publisher Summary Many of the largest earthquakes are fundamentally marine events generated by submarine subduction zones or other plate boundary earthquakes and volcano-tectonic explosions. A large proportion of the world's population lives near coastlines; thus, a high proportion of hazard from active tectonics comes from submarine fault systems and volcanic and landslide generators of tsunamis. During and shortly after large earthquakes, in the coastal and marine environment, a spectrum of evidence is left behind. Onshore, land levels change with elastic unflexing of the formerly coupled plates, thereby resulting in coastal subsidence, uplift, or lateral shift, and the generation of familiar onshore paleoseismic evidence, such as fault scarps, colluvial wedges, damaged trees, landslides, and offset features. If the seafloor is shaken or displaced, another suite of events may result in further geologic and geodetic evidence of the event, including turbidity currents, submarine landslides, tsunami, and soft-sediment deformation. Offshore and lacustrine records offer the potential of good preservation, good spatial coverage, and long temporal span. Marine deposits offer significant opportunities for stratigraphic correlation along the source zone. Stratigraphic correlation methods have a potential to address source zone spatial extent and segmentation, and because of the longer time intervals available, it can be used to examine recurrence models, fault interactions, clustering, and other phenomena commonly limited by short temporal records.
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Abstract Between Sept. and Oct., 2009 we collected 572 km2 of high resolution multibeam bathymetric data and~ 592 km of single channel mini-sparker seismic reflection data aboard the R/V Derek M. Baylis. These surveys were conducted... more
Abstract Between Sept. and Oct., 2009 we collected 572 km2 of high resolution multibeam bathymetric data and~ 592 km of single channel mini-sparker seismic reflection data aboard the R/V Derek M. Baylis. These surveys were conducted between Ft. Bragg, CA and Shelter Cove, CA in an effort to study the offshore section of the Northern San Andreas Fault (NSAF). We have combined multibeam data collected during this cruise with data collected by the California Seafloor Mapping Program to compile high resolution imagery of the entire ...
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Research Interests: Geology and Stratigraphy
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Earthquakes generate mass transport deposits (MTDs); megaturbidites (MTD overlain by coeval turbidite); multi-pulsed, stacked, and mud homogenite seismo-turbidites; tsunamites; and seiche deposits. The strongest (Mw 9) earthquake shaking... more
Earthquakes generate mass transport deposits (MTDs); megaturbidites (MTD overlain by coeval turbidite); multi-pulsed, stacked, and mud homogenite seismo-turbidites; tsunamites; and seiche deposits. The strongest (Mw 9) earthquake shaking signatures appear to create multi-pulsed individual turbidites, where the number and character of multiple coarse-grained pulses for correlative turbidites generally remain constant both upstream and downstream in different channel systems. Multiple turbidite pulses, that correlate with multiple ruptures shown in seismograms of historic earthquakes (e.g. Chile 1960, Sumatra 2004 and Japan 2011), support this hypothesis. The weaker (Mw = or < 8) (e.g. northern California San Andreas) earthquakes generate dominantly upstream simple fining-up (uni-pulsed) turbidites in single tributary canyons and channels; however, downstream stacked turbidites result from synchronously triggered multiple turbidity currents that deposit in channels below confluences of the tributaries. Proven tsunamites, which result from tsunami waves sweeping onshore and shallow water debris into deeper water, are a fine-grained turbidite cap over other seismo-turbidites. In contrast, MTDs and seismo-turbidites result from slope failures. Multiple great earthquakes cause seismic strengthening of slope sediment, which results in minor MTDs in basin floor turbidite system deposits (e.g. maximum run-out distances of MTDs across basin floors along active margins are up to an order of magnitude less than on passive margins). In contrast, the MTDs and turbidites are equally intermixed in turbidite systems of passive margins (e.g. Gulf of Mexico). In confined basin settings, earthquake triggering results in a common facies pattern of coeval megaturbidites in proximal settings, thick stacked turbidites downstream, and ponded muddy homogenite turbidites in basin or sub-basin centers, sometimes with a cap of seiche deposits showing bidirectional flow patterns.