Fault geometry and slip rates from the Nullarbor and Roe Plains of south‐central Australia: Insights into the spatial and temporal characteristics of intraplate seismicity

Analysis of TanDEM-X and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data reveals geomorphic evidence for 292 fault-propagation fold scarps across the Miocene Nullarbor Pliocene Roe Plains in south-central Australia. Vertical displacements (VD) are determined using topographic profiling a subset (n = 48) traces. Fault dips (mean 44 +16/−14° at 1σ) estimated from seismic reflection data; mean dip is assigned to faults with unknown combined VD estimate net (ND) average (AD) each fault. AD exceeds single-event fault-length scaling regressions, indicating identified have hosted multiple earthquakes. Combining (i) faulted surface ages (Nullarbor ~10–5 Ma, ~2.5 Ma), (ii) erosional–depositional features (e.g. relic Late dune fields paleochannels), (iii) onset neotectonic regime Australia ~10 Ma yields slip rates <0.1 m Myr−1 >17 1.1 Myr−1). Summation crustal horizontal shortening lower than geodetically detectable resolution (≤0.01 mm yr−1) since Miocene. The ca. 10 Myr-long record faulting on Plain provides important insights into earthquake spatial–temporal behaviours slowly deforming intraplate continental region.