Preliminary results from a search for regional tectonomagnetic effects in California and western Nevada

Physical theory and laboratory experiments both indicate that tectonomagnetic effects in seismically active areas should be detected with highly sensitive drift-free differential magnetometers. By using a pair of synchronized 0.25 7 absolute magnetometers to measure precisely field differences between 70 adjacent sites with a 10–15 km separation, more than 1,000 km of faults in California and western Nevada have been monitored for anomalous changes in the local magnetic field. Over a nine-month period, four sets of mea surements have been completed along 350 km of the San Andreas and two sets along the Excelsior Mountains, Mono Lake, and Owens Valley. Preliminary results show that significant changes have occurred between each subsequent data set and that these changes appear to be related to tectonic structure and seismicity. This method looks promising as a simple inexpensive scheme for indicating some hazardous sections of active faults, particularly in countries where extensive geophysics programs are not feasible.