29 Cenozoic Tectonics in Asia and North America: Linking Processes Across Scales

This session invites research integrating geologic, geomorphic, and paleoclimate data to advance understanding on orogenesis, seismic hazards, and global change.

Tuesday, 19 May 2026
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Alvarado A

Is the Rio Grande Rift an Active Rift?

Paper number: 29-4
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 2:50 PM – 3:10 PM

Authors

Abstract

The Rio Grande Rift is a north-south series of basins across the New Mexico and part of Colorado, that is thought to have accommodated extension starting ~30 Ma. General consensus seems to be that the rift is currently actively accommodating extension, albeit at slower slip rates than peak slip in the Miocene. Here we compare modern patterns of microseismicity, volcanism, topography, and geodetic motion between the Rio Grande Rift and nearby provinces including the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, Great Plains, and Basin and Range. While we find clear evidence for Basin and Range extension, the evidence for localized extension within the Rio Grande Rift is considerably weaker. In most cases, deformation rates within the rift matches those within the Colorado Plateau and other parts of the Rocky Mountains. We encourage Rio Grande Rift researchers to carefully consider whether an active rift is the best tectonic setting for their observations.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 4

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026RM-410591

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