Measurement of Creep on the Calaveras Fault at Coyote Dam using Terrestrial Radar Interferometry (TRI).

Abstract:

The Calaveras fault in central California is part of the San Andreas fault system. Coyote Dam, an earthen dam that straddles the fault ~13km northeast of Gilroy, experiences creep style deformation that ranges from 10 to 15 mm/yr. Uncertainty in the location of the fault, coupled with the historic rate of deformation, affect the dam’s safety factor. Assessing the impact of fault creep on the dam’s stability is paramount to its safety evaluation, but is difficult to resolve due to limited spatial and temporal sampling of conventional methods. Terrestrial radar interferometry (TRI), like satellite-based observations, produces high spatial resolution maps of ground deformation. Unlike space-based sensors, TRI can be readily deployed and the observation geometry selected to get the maximum line of sight (LOS) signal. TRI also benefits from high temporal sampling which can be used to reduce errors related to atmospheric phase delays and high temporal sampling also facilitates tracking rapidly moving features such as landslides and glaciers. GAMMA Portable Radar Interferometer (GPRI) measurements of Coyote Dam rock faces were made from concrete piers built upstream and downstream of the dam. The GPRI operates at a radar frequency of 17.2 GHz with a spatial resolution at the dam of approximately 0.9 m x 2.0 m. Changes in LOS path length smaller than 0.1mm can be measured. Data were acquired approximately every 2 to 3 weeks over a 7-month period to map the fault trace through the dam faces. Our study exploits the dense record of observations obtained, and the relatively short distance of the radar to the dam to minimize atmospheric affects. We investigate how the deformation evolves in time and the orientation of fault through the dam, including the strike and dip as measured along the dam surface. Our results show rates consistent with GPS data and regional satellite observations, but produce a much more detailed map of the fault on the dam than possible with GPS or satellite data. This study represents the first known TRI observations of surface deformation due to fault creep.