Active Faults and Geothermal Systems in the Canadian Cordillera

The Cordillera is Canada’s most tectonically active domain, and the region with the highest geothermal energy potential. In this talk, I will share several studies employing structural geology, remote sensing, and tectonic geomorphology to better understand active faults in the Cordillera, the seismic hazard they pose, and the geothermal systems they sometimes host. I will begin in the Cascadia forearc and describe our efforts to map and characterize previously unidentified seismogenic faults that pose a direct threat to populated areas. I will also show how plate margin curvature and structural inheritance play roles in determining the non-intuitive patterns of strain accommodation on these faults. I will then move to the Cordilleran hinterland where a concentration of thermal springs and high heat flow have attracted interest for geothermal energy exploration. Many of these hydrothermal systems are associated with major faults such as the Rocky Mountain Trench, and structural mapping and crustal stress inversions indicate that a recent phase of dextral transpression plays a role in their localization. However, new lidar data and electrical resistivity surveys reveal evidence for a significant Holocene rupture with normal kinematics, highlighting the challenges of inferring fault behaviour from geodetic and seismic network data. Finally, I will move to the northern Cordillera, where the Tintina fault is hypothesized to host a geothermal system that could heat small communities reliant on diesel electricity. I will show new evidence of Quaternary activity on the Tintina fault and demonstrate the utility of a lidar-equipped drone for fault mapping. Collectively, these examples show how field studies that leverage rapidly growing lidar coverage are transforming our understanding of seismic hazard and geothermal resources in Canada.

Please note that after the seminar, the candidate will give a chalk-talk regarding their research plan over the next five years at ESB 5104 @2:30 pm, you are welcome to join as well!

Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/61227908464?pwd=eE9IaGhPZFF6OW5OSWROL3U4cmJYQT09

Meeting ID: 612 2790 8464

Passcode: 009405