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Orientation of in situ stresses in the oceanic crust

Abstract

Two in situ measurements of principal stress directions have been made in DSDP Holes 504B, south of the Costa Rica Rift on the Nazca plate, and 597C, west of the East Pacific Rise on the Pacific plate. In both cases, the orientations of in situ principal stresses determined from borehole breakouts are consistent with the stress directions inferred from intraplate earthquakes located near the sites.

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Newmark, R., Zoback, M. & Anderson, R. Orientation of in situ stresses in the oceanic crust. Nature 311, 424–428 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/311424a0

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