An analytic stress model applied to the Snake River Plain (Northern Basin and Range province U.S.A.)

The complex representation of plane stress is used for an analytic model to describe the stress regime of the Snake River Plain (SRP) region of the western United States. The area is modeled as an infinite elastic sheet cut along a circular arc with tension applied at infinity. Modeling results include the following: (1) south of the Snake River Plain, the principal direction of tension rotates from the direction of the applied stress to a direction sub-parallel to the cut, consistent with the orientation of normal faulting and nodal planes given by fault plane solutions; (2) north of the Snake River Plain, calculated stress directions are consistent with the variable nature of faulting in that region; (3) a decrease in magnitude of predicted stresses is observed within the Snake River Plain consistent with relatively low levels of seismicity on the Plain.