Gravity Map of the Las Vegas Urban Corridor Region |
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Isostatic gravity map of the Las Vegas region. Warm colors indicate gravity highs; cool colors, gravity lows. Isostatic gravity anomalies reflect density variations in the upper to middle crust (for explanation of gravity and its application to geology, see the gravity section of the USGS Open-File Report 95-479). We use the gravity map to "strip" off the sedimentary rocks that form the valley fill to look at the basement surface (defined to pre-Cenozoic in age because the rocks are denser than the valley fill). Knowing the thickness of the valley fill is important for water studies and assessing earthquake hazards. Large changes in the thickness may indicate where faults are buried beneath the valley fill. The valley fill thickness can be an important factor in the amount of shaking produced by earthquakes both within and outside the valley. |
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Here is Vicki with the gravity meter with a view of Frenchman Mtn. |
Western Earth Surface Processes Team || GUMP || USGS Geophysics Hub |
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Menlo Park, CA |
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