This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) provides $244,152 to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to investigate the nature and timing of the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ) in southeastern California. The 3-year project aims to constrain the timescales and styles of deformation within the inactive, paleo-ECSZ through field studies, structural analysis, and geochronology. Key activities include studying the Bear Canyon Conglomerate, conducting thermochronology on basement rocks, and analyzing fault rocks to document changes in the strain field as the paleo-ECSZ became active. The project involves graduate, undergraduate, and community college students, with opportunities for outreach to the local Hispanic community. The research seeks to improve understanding of the structural narrowing and abandonment of the inactive ECSZ segment, which is crucial for understanding earthquake-producing faults in southern California.
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