JOHN CASKEY
Associate Professor
Department of Geosciences
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA 94132
(415) 405-0353
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Degrees
Ph.D., University of Nevada, Reno, 1996. GPA
4.0. Dissertation: Surface Faulting, Static Stress Changes, and Earthquake
Triggering During the 1954 Fairview Peak (Ms7.2)
and Dixie Valley (Ms6.8) Earthquakes.
M.S. Geology, University of Nevada, Reno, 1991. GPA 4.0. Thesis: Superimposed Mesozoic and Cenozoic Structural
Geology of the CP Hills, Nevada Test Site: Regional Implications, Nye County,
Nevada.
B.A. Geology, Humboldt State University, Arcata,
California, 1987. Distinction and
Honors (Magna Cum Laude).
Current Position
Assistant Professor (since 1998) San Francisco State University; Courses
taught include Physical Geology, Structural Geology, Earthquakes and the San
Andreas fault, Field Methods, Graduate Seminar, and Neotectonics.
Prior Positions
Assistant Research Professor (8/97-8/98) Center for Neotectonic Studies,
University of Nevada, Reno; NSF and USGS funded geologic and geophysical
investigations in the Central Nevada Seismic Belt.
Research Geologist (1/97-5/97) Post-doctoral appointment, Nevada Bureau
of Mines and Geology, University of Nevada, Reno; Geologic bedrock and surficial
mapping of the Tule Springs Park 7.5 minute quadrangle, southern Nevada, in
cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey.
Instructor (Summers 1992-97) University of Nevada, Reno,. Summer Field Geology course for
undergraduates, focusing on regional stratigraphy and tectonics of the Basin
and Range province.
PUBLICATIONS
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Abbott, R.E., J.N. Louie, S.J. Caskey,
S. Pullammanappallil, Geophysical confirmation of low-angle normal slip on the
historically active Dixie Valley fault, Nevada, Journal of Geophysical
Research, 106, B3. pp. 4169-4181,
2001.
Bell, J.W., S.J Caskey, A.R. Ramelli, and L. Guerrieri, Pattern and rates
of faulting in the 1954 portion of the central Nevada seismic belt and
paleoseismic evidence for older belt-like behavior, (in press with the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of
America).
Caskey, S.J., J.W. Bell, A.R. Ramelli,
and S.G. Wesnousky, Historic surface faulting and paleoseismicity in the area
of the 1954 Rainbow Mountain and Stillwater earthquake sequence, central
Nevada, (in Press with the Bulletin
of the Seismological Society of America).
Caskey, S.J. and S.G. Wesnousky, Static stress changes and earthquake triggering
during the 1954 Fairview Peak and Dixie Valley earthquakes, central Nevada, Bull.
Seism. Soc. Am., 87, pp. 521-527, 1997.
Caskey, S.J., S.G. Wesnousky, P. Zhang, and D. B. Slemmons, Surface faulting of the
1954 Fairview Peak (Ms7.2) and Dixie
Valley (Ms6.8) earthquakes, central
Nevada, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 86, pp. 761-787, 1996.
Caskey, S.J., Geometric relations of dip slip to a faulted ground surface: new
nomograms for estimating components of fault displacement, J. Struct. Geol., 17,
pp. 1197-1202, 1995.
Caskey, S.J., and R.A. Schweickert, Mesozoic deformation in the Nevada Test Site and
vicinity: implications for the structural framework of the Cordilleran fold and
thrust belt and Tertiary extension north of Las Vegas Valley, Tectonics, 11,
pp. 1314-1331, 1992.
Clark, D.G., D.B. Slemmons, S.J. Caskey, and D.M. dePolo, Seismotectonic framework of
coastal central California, in Seismotectonics of the Central California
Coast Ranges, vol. 292, edited by I.
B. Alderman, R. B. McMullen, L. S. Cluff and D. B. Slemmons, pp. 9-30, Geol.
Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 292, 1994.
Journal Articles (in review)
Caskey, S.J. and A.R. Ramelli, Tectonic displacement andfar-field isostatic flexure
of pluvial lake shorelines, Dixie Valley, Nevada, (in review with the Journal of Geodynamics).
Bell, J.W., S.J. Caskey, A.R. Ramelli, and L. Guerrieri, Pattern and rates of faulting in the 1954 portion of the central Nevada seismic belt and paleoseismic evidence for older belt-like behavior, (in review with the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of
America).
Journal Articles (in progress)
Caskey, S.J., S.G. Wesnousky, and J.W.
Bell, Timing and character of large magnitude paleoseismic activity and extreme paleoliquefaction
in the Stillwater Gap, Dixie Valley, Nevada.
Kennedy, D.K., and S.J. Caskey,
Active fault propagation folding along the Serra thrust fault and evidence for
late Pleistocene onset of transpression along the San Andreas fault, northern
San Francisco Peninsula, California.
Published Maps
Bell, J.W., A.R. Ramelli, and S.J. Caskey, Bedrock and Surficial Geologic Map of the Tule Springs
Park 7.5 Minute Quadrangle, Clark County, Nevada, NBMG Map 113, 1998.
Caskey, S.J., S.G. Wesnousky, P. Zhang, and D.B. Slemmons, Surface faulting of the
1954 Fairview Peak (Ms7.2) and Dixie
Valley (Ms6.8) earthquakes, central
Nevada, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am, 86, pp. 761-787, 1996.
Field Trip Guidebook Articles
Caskey,
S.J., J.W. Bell, D.B., A.R.
Ramelli, and S.G. Wesnousky,
Historical surface faulting and paleoseismology of the central Nevada seismic
belt, International Quaternary Union (INQUA) Meeting Field Trip Guide, Reno, Nevada, 28 p., 2003.
Caskey, S.J., J.W. Bell, S.G. Wesnousky, and A.R. Ramelli, Overview of the 1954
Rainbow Mountain-Stillwater earthquake sequence, in Historical Faulting, Chronostratigraphy, and
Paleoseismicity of the Central Nevada Seismic Belt, 2002 Pacific Cell Friends
of the Pleistocene Field Trip, Caskey, S.J. ed., pp 24-33.
Caskey, S.J., S.G. Wesnousky, and D.B. Slemmons, Overview of the 1954 Fairview
Peak-Dixie Valley rupture sequence, in Historical Faulting, Chronostratigraphy, and Paleoseismicity of the
Central Nevada Seismic Belt, 2002 Pacific Cell Friends of the Pleistocene Field
Trip, Caskey, S.J. ed., pp 63-67.
Caskey, S.J., Alluvial chronostratigraphy and active faulting at Terrace Creek, in Historical Faulting, Chronostratigraphy, and
Paleoseismicity of the Central Nevada Seismic Belt, 2002 Pacific Cell Friends
of the Pleistocene Field Trip, Caskey, S.J. ed., pp 77-81.
Caskey, S.J., Geological and geophysical evidence for low dip on the Dixie Valley
fault: Little Box to Big Box canyons, in Historical Faulting, Chronostratigraphy, and Paleoseismicity of the
Central Nevada Seismic Belt, 2002 Pacific Cell Friends of the Pleistocene Field
Trip, Caskey, S.J. ed., pp 82-89.
Caskey, S.J., Large-scale lateral-spread paleoscarps and Mazama-age lacustrine
deposits at Dixie Hot Springs, in
Historical Faulting, Chronostratigraphy, and Paleoseismicity of the Central
Nevada Seismic Belt, 2002 Pacific Cell Friends of the Pleistocene Field Trip, Caskey,
S.J. ed., pp 94-99.
Caskey, S.J., A.R. Ramelli, E.W. Ford, C.J. Domrose, G. Schneider, M.W. Goebel, N.W.
Smith, T.S. Bidgoli, and A.M. Scherer, Tectonic and isostatic deformation of
latest Pleistocene Lake Dixie shorelines, in Historical Faulting, Chronostratigraphy, and Paleoseismicity
of the Central Nevada Seismic Belt, 2002 Pacific Cell Friends of the
Pleistocene Field Trip, Caskey, S.J. ed., pp 100-108.
Caskey, S.J., Age of faulting in the Stillwater gap and lateral-spread-induced
contraction along the playa margin, in Historical Faulting, Chronostratigraphy, and Paleoseismicity of the
Central Nevada Seismic Belt, 2002 Pacific Cell Friends of the Pleistocene Field
Trip, Caskey, S.J. ed., pp
109-114.
Caskey, S.J., J.W. Bell, D.B. Slemmons, and A.R. Ramelli, Historical surface
faulting and paleoseismology of the central Nevada seismic belt, in Great Basin and Sierra Nevada, Geol. Soc. Am.
Field Guide 2, Lageson, D.R., ed., pp.23-44, 2000.
Bell, J.W., S.J. Caskey, and A.R. Ramelli, Paleoseismicity along the
Fairview fault, in Historical
Faulting, Chronostratigraphy, and Paleoseismicity of the Central Nevada Seismic
Belt, 2002 Pacific Cell Friends of the Pleistocene Field Trip, Caskey, S.J. ed., pp 71-74.
Lutz, S.J., S..J. Caskey, Johnson, Stuart D. (2003),
Geyserite, faulted sinter terraces, and other fossil hot spring deposits,
northern Dixie Valley fault system, Nevada, in Nevada Petroleum Society 2003 Field Trip Guidebook,
Stephen Foster, ed., pp. 75-89.
Ramelli A.R., S.J. Caskey, and J.W. Bell, Paleoseismicity and Lake Lahontan
shoreline fluctuations along the Rainbow Mountain fault, in Historical Faulting, Chronostratigraphy, and
Paleoseismicity of the Central Nevada Seismic Belt, 2002 Pacific Cell Friends
of the Pleistocene Field Trip, Caskey, S.J. ed., pp 34-42.
Sawyer, T.L., C.S. Hitchcock, T. Crampton, J.M.
Sowers, S.J. Caskey, and J.E.
Sawyer, The Muleshoe Mine fault at the Pratville trench site, in Friends of the Pleistocene Pacific Cell 1995 Field
Trip Guidebook, W. Page, editor, Appendix 3-1A, pp. 2-22, 1995.
Short Courses Taught
McCalpin, J.P. and S.J. Caskey (Instructors), Field Methods in Neotectonics and
Paleoseismology, Field Course taught in association with the International
Quaternary Union (INQUA) meeting in Reno, Nevada, August 1-8, 2003.
Workshop Proceedings and
Presentations
Caskey, S.J., S.G. Wesnousky, Neotectonics of the Dixie Valley geothermal field;
presented at the U.S. Department of Energy Workshop on Dixie Valley (NV)
Geothermal Research at the Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada, June 12,
2002.
Caskey, S.J., Static stress changes and earthquake triggering during the 1954
Fairview Peak and Dixie Valley earthquakes, central Nevada; presented at
Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) workshop, entitled
"Earthquake Stress Triggers, Stress Shadows, and Their Impact on Seismic
Hazard," Menlo Park, CA, March 21-22, 1997.
Caskey, S.J. and S.G. Wesnousky, Active
faulting and stress redistributions in the Dixie Valley, Beowawe, and Bradys
geothermal fields: implications for geothermal exploration in the Basin and
Range, Proceedings , Twenty-fifth Annual Workshop, Geothermal Reservoir
Engineering, Stanford University, January 24-26, 9 pp., 2000.
Caskey, S.J., S.G. Wesnousky, and P. Zhang, Surface rupture characteristics and slip
distribution for the 16 December 1954 Fairview Peak (M=7.2) and Dixie Valley
(M=6.9) earthquakes and preliminary results of paleoseismic investigations
along the Fairview Peak fault, central Nevada, in Proceedings of the
Workshop on Paleoseismology, vol.
94-568, edited by D. A. Prentice, D. P. Schwartz and R. S. Yeats, pp. 34-35,
U.S. Geol. Surv. Open-File Report, Menlo Park, California, 1994.
Lutz, S.J., S.J. Caskey, D.D. Mildenhall , P.R.L. Browne, and
S.D. Johnson, Dating sinter deposits in northern Dixie Valley, Nevada - the
paleoseismic record and implications for the Dixie Valley geothermal
system, Proceedings,
Twenty-Seventh Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford
University, Stanford, California, January 28-30, 2002, SGP-TR-171.
Invited Lectures and
Presentations
Caskey, S.J., Neotectonics of the Stillwater Seismic Gap, central Nevada, invited
seminar series lecture at San Jose State University, 17 March 2003.
Caskey, S.J., Comparisons of fault slip rates and historical fault movements to the GPS
velocity field in the central Nevada seismic belt, invited lecture at Humboldt
State University, 13 March, 2001.
Caskey, S.J., Comparisons of fault slip rates and historical fault movements to the
GPS velocity field in the central Nevada seismic belt, Idaho State University
guest lecture series presentation, 26 February, 2001.
Caskey, S.J., Neotectonics of the Stillwater Seismic Gap, Dixie Valley, Nevada: Implications for geothermal
exploration, Nevada Petroleum Society guest lecture series presentation, 4
January, 2001.
Caskey, S.J., and S.G. Wesnousky, Fault interaction and static stress triggering
during the 1954 Rainbow Mountain-Fairview Peak-Dixie Valley earthquake
sequence, central Nevada, GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 31, no. 4, page P-43,
1999.
Caskey, S.J. and S.G. Wesnousky, Surface rupture characteristics and slip
distribution for the 16 December 1954 Fairview Peak (Ms7.2) and Dixie Valley (Ms6.8)
earthquakes, central Nevada, Seismological Research Letters, 65, 31, 1994.
Presentations of Research at
Professional Meetings (Published Abstracts)
Caskey, S.J., C.J. Domrose, E.W. Ford, M.W. Goebel, N.W. Smith, T.S., Bidgoli, and
A.M. Scherer, Tectonic and isostatic deformation of latest Pleistocene pluvial
lake shorelines, Dixie Valley, NV, GSA Abstracts with Programs, 32, no. 3., p. A-100, 2002.
Caskey, S.J. and J.W. Bell, Comparisons of historic fault slip motions and
paleoseismic slip rates to the to the geodetic velocity field across the
central Nevada seismic belt in the vicinity of the 1954 earthquake sequence, Seism.
Res. Lett. v. 72, no. 2, p. 280-281,
2001.
Caskey, S.J., Wesnousky, S.G., and J.W. Bell, Surface faulting and slip distribution
for the 1954 Rainbow-Mountain-Stillwater earthquake sequence, Central Nevada, GSA
Abstract with Programs, 31, no. 6,
A-44 1999.
Caskey, S.J., and S.G. Wesnousky, Fault interaction and static stress triggering
during the 1954 Rainbow Mountain-Fairview Peak-Dixie Valley earthquake
sequence, central Nevada, GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 31, no. 4, page P-43,
1999.
Caskey, S. J. and S.G. Wesnousky, Geologic evidence for low dip on the historically
active Dixie Valley fault, central Nevada, American Geophysical Union
Transactions, EOS, 79, F875, 1998.
Caskey, S.J., S.G. Wesnousky, and S. Jaume, Static stress changes and triggered slip
during the 1954 Fairview Peak and Dixie Valley earthquakes, American
Geophysical Union Transactions, EOS,
76, F533, 1995.
Caskey, S.J., S.G. Wesnousky, P. Zhang, and D. B. Slemmons, Reinvestigation of fault
trace complexity and slip distribution for the 16 December 1954 Fairview Peak
(Ms7.2) and Dixie Valley (Ms6.8) earthquakes, central Nevada, GSA
Abstracts with Programs, 25, p. 19, 1993.
Caskey, S.J., Post 3 to 4 Ma tectonic rejuvenation of the Death Valley region: a
model, GSA Abstracts with Programs,
22, p. 13, 1990.
Caskey, S.J., and R.A. Schweickert, Mesozoic west-vergent thrust in the CP Hills,
Nye County, Nevada, GSA Abstracts with Programs, 21,
p. 64, 1989.
Co-authored Published
Abstracts (from most to least recent)
Lutz, S.J. and S.J. Caskey, Sinter aging and
radiocarbon dating of hot spring deposits in Dixie Valley, Nevada: dating
normal faults in geothermal areas of the Great Basin, AAPG, 2003.
Lutz, S.J. and S.J. Caskey, Episodic hot spring
activity and paleoseismology of the Dixie Valley fault in northern Dixie
Valley, GSA Abstracts with Programs, 33, no. 4, 2002.
Bell, J.W., A.R. Ramelli, J. Caskey,
Uncertainties associated with active faults mapped in the Lake Tahoe basin, AEG
News, 45, Program with Abstracts 2002 Annual Meeting, Reno, Nevada, p. 55.
2002.
Bell. J.W., S.J. Caskey, and A.R. Ramelli, The 1954
Rainbow Mountain fault, central Nevada:
another moderate-slip rate fault in the western Basin and Range, GSA
Abstracts with Programs, 34, no. 4., p. A-11, 2002.
Kennedy, D.G., and Caskey, S.J. Fault Propagation folding along the Serra thrust
fault and evidence for late Pleistocene onset of transpression along the San
Andreas fault, northern San Francisco Peninsula, California, American
Geophysical Union Transactions, EOS,
82 (47), p. F934, 2001.
Randolph, C. and Caskey, J., Neotectonic
investigation of the southern Rogers Creek fault, Sonoma County, American
Geophysical Union Transactions, EOS,
82 (47), p. F935, 2001.
Bell, J.W., and S.J. Caskey, Paleoseismic history of historically active faults
in the central Nevada seismic belt: implications for seismic hazard studies, GSA
Abstracts with Programs, v. 32, no.
7. p. A-119, 2000.
Ramelli, A.R. J.W. Bell, C.M. dePolo, S.J. Caskey, L. Guerrieri, and J.C. Yount, Belt-like behavior of
surface rupturing earthquakes in the western Basin and Range province, GSA
Abstracts with Programs, v. 32, no.
7. p. A-462, 2000.
Bell, J.W., S.J. Caskey, A.R. Ramelli, L. Guerrieri, and A.M.
Sarna-Wojcicki, Timing of late Quaternary faulting in the central Nevada
seismic belt, GSA Abstracts with Program, v. 31, no. 4, p. P-42, 1999.
Barr, J. and S.J. Caskey, Northern continuation of the Serra fault to
southwest San Francisco: constraints on uplift rates and style of deformation
on the San Francisco Peninsula, GSA Abstracts with Programs, 31, no. 6, p.
A-36, 1999.
Abbott, R.E., J.N. Louie, S.J. Caskey,
and S.G. Wesnousky, Geophysical test of low-angle dip on the seismogenic Dixie
Valley fault, Nevada, American Geophysical Union Transactions, EOS, 79,
F582, 1998.
Sawyer, T.L., C.S. Hitchcock, K.L. Knudsen, T.
Crampton, J.E. Sawyer, and S.J. Caskey, Middle to late Quaternary strike-slip faulting on
the northern Sierra frontal fault system, California, GSA Abstracts with
Programs, 28, p. A108, 1996.
Jaume, S.C., S.J. Caskey, and S.G. Wesnousky, Stress transfer during the
1915-1954 central Nevada earthquakes, American Geophysical Union
Transactions, EOS, 76, p. F533,
1995.
Ramelli, A.R., C.M. dePolo, J.W. Bell, C.C. Henry,
J.C. Yount, S.J. Caskey, K.D.
Adams, M.W. Strirling, T.W. Rennie, T. Adams, P. Rogers, J.R. Humphrey, T.L.
Sawyer, and W.D. Page, Secondary surface fracturing associated with the Double
Spring Flat earthquake of September 12, 1994, American Geophysical Union
Transactions, EOS, 75,1994.
dePolo, C.M., A.R. Ramelli, S.J. Caskey, and S.P. Nitchman, Is there an earthquake hazard
associated with warped range fronts in the Basin and Range province?, Seism.
Soc. Am., Seismological Research Letters, 63, p. 39, 1992.
Glazner, A.F., J.M. Bartley, S.J. Caskey, F.C. Monestero, and S.P. Nitchman, New Evidence for
Miocene-to-recent north-south contraction of the Mojave block, California, American
Geophysical Union Transactions, EOS,
71, p. 1224, 1990.
Nitchman, S.P., S.J. Caskey, and T.L. Sawyer, Change in Great Basin tectonics at
3 to 4 Ma: a hypothesis, GSA Abstracts with Programs, 22,
p. 72, 1990.
Schweickert, R.A. and S.J. Caskey, Pre-middle Miocene extensional history of the
Nevada Test Site region, southern Nevada, GSA Abstracts with Programs, 22,
p. 81, 1990.
Schweickert, R.A., M.M. Lahren, and S.J. Caskey, Major Triassic thrust belt in eastern Sierra Nevada
and White-Inyo Mountains: a new hypothesis, GSA Abstracts with Programs, 20,
p. 273, 1988.
RESEARCH GRANTS
National Science Foundation (NSF), Geophysical test of low-angle dip on the seismogenic
Dixie Valley fault, 8/97-7/98.
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP),
Surface faulting and slip distribution for the 1954 Rainbow Mountain and Stillwater
earthquakes, 11/97-10/98.
U.S. Department of Energy, Recency of faulting and neotectonic framework in
the Dixie Valley Geothermal Field and other geothermal fields of the Basin and
Range: Implications for tectonic controls on fault zone permeability,
geothermal production, and use of neotectonic framework as an exploration tool,
9/98-10/00.
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP),
Paloeseismic studies in the Central Nevada
Seismic belt, 1/1/00-12/31/00.
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP),
Theodolite and Total Station measurements on San Francisco Bay region faults,
3/1/01-2/28/03.
U.S. Geological Survey, Assistance Award, Paleoseismic Study of the Rogers Creek fault,
Sonoma County, CA, 9/12/00-9/30/01.
U.S. Geological Survey, National Cooperative
Geologic Mapping Program (EDMAP),
Geologic mapping of the Burdell Mounatin volcanics and associated basement
rocks in the Petaluma River and Petaluma 7.5-minute quadrangles, central
California, 6/1/02-5/31/03.
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP),
Theodolite and Total Station measurements on San Francisco Bay region faults,
3/1/03-2/28/05.
Presidio Trust, National Park Service, Golden Gate
National Recreational Area,
Surficial soils/geologic boundary mapping at the Presidio, 1/1/03-6/30/04.
National Renewable Energy Lab Ð Department of
Energy, Faults and stress
redistributions as tools for geothermal resource assessment in the Basin and
Range province of Nevada, 1/1/04-12/31/04.
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP),
Constraints on late Pleistocene and active uplift rates along the Serra fault
and the timing of late Pleistocene onset of transpressional deformation along
the San Andreas fault, northern San Francisco peninsula, 11/1/03-10/31/04.
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS AND
AWARDS
North Rock Pick Award (most deserving graduating
senior), HSU Geology, 1987
Mackay School of Mines Research Assisstantship
1987-1992.
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Research
Assistantship 1992.
Mackay School of Mines Research Assisstantship
1993-1994, 1996.
USGS/Mackay School of Mines Research Fellowship 1994
and 1995.
Outstanding Ph.D. Student, Department of Geological
Sciences, University of Nevada, 1996.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Geological Society of America
Seismological Society of America
American Geophysical Union
Friends of the Pleistocene