Earthquake source mechanisms and transform fault tectonics in the Gulf of California

The source parameters of 19 earthquakes in the Gulf of California were determined from an inversion of long-period P and SH waveforms. The inversion procedure is described and the estimated precision of the derived source parameters is examined, with particular attention given to source complexity, the resolution of slip vector azimuth, and the resolution of centroid depth. The implications of these earthquake source characteristics for the tectonic evolution of the gulf are discussed.