Browsing by Author "Cembrano, J."
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- ItemDevelopment of a self-similar strike-slip duplex system in the Atacama Fault system, Chile(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2011) Jensen, E.; Cembrano, J.; Faulkner, D.; Veloso, E.; Arancibia, G.Fault development models are crucial to predict geometry and distribution of fractures at all scales. We present here structures related to the development of the Bolfin Fault in the Atacama Fault System (AFS), covering a range of scales of 7 orders of magnitude. The AFS is a 1000 km-long trench-parallel fault system located in the Andean Forearc. The Boffin Fault is a first-order fault of the Caleta Coloso Duplex, has a trend similar to 170 degrees and length >45 km. It cuts mainly meta-diorites and exhibits a 100-200 m thick core of subvertical bands of altered fractured host rock and of foliated cataclasites. This foliation is made up of several trend-parallel cm-thick shear bands, composed of plagioclase fragments (>0.1 mm) surrounded by epidote.
- ItemNature and tectonic significance of co-seismic structures associated with the Mw 8.8 Maule earthquake, central-southern Chile forearc(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2011) Arriagada, C.; Arancibia, G.; Cembrano, J.; Martinez, F.; Carrizo, D.; Van Sint Jan, M.; Saez, E.; Gonzalez, G.; Rebolledo, S.; Sepulveda, S. A.; Contreras Reyes, E.; Jensen, E.; Yanez, G.The Mw 8.8 Maule earthquake on February 27, 2010 affected the central-southern Chilean forearc of the Central Andes. Here we show the results of field investigations of surface deformation associated with this major earthquake. Observations were carried out within three weeks after the seismic event, mostly in the central and northern part of the forearc overlying the rupture zone. We provide a detailed field record of co-seismic surface deformation and examine its implications on active Andean tectonics. Surface rupture consisted primarily of extensional cracks, push-up structures, fissures with minor lateral displacements and a few but impressive extensional geometries similar to those observed in analogical modeling of rift systems. A major group of NW-WNW striking fractures representing co-seismic extensional deformation is found at all localities. These appear to be spatially correlated to long-lived basement fault zones. The NW-striking normal focal mechanism of the Mw 6.9 aftershock occurred on March 11 demonstrates that the basement faults were reactivated by the Mw 8.8 Maule earthquake. The co-seismic surface ruptures show patterns of distributed deformation similar to those observed in mapped basement-involved structures. We propose that co-seismic reactivation of basement structures play a fundamental role in stress release in the upper plate during large subduction earthquakes. The fundamental mechanism that promotes stress relaxation is largely driven by elastic rebound of the upper plate located right above the main rupture zone. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- ItemReactivation of Fault Systems by Compartmentalized Hydrothermal Fluids in the Southern Andes Revealed by Magnetotelluric and Seismic Data(2020) Pearce, R. K.; Sanchez de la Muela, A.; Moorkamp, M.; Hammond, J. O. S.; Mitchell, T. M.; Cembrano, J.; Araya Vargas, J.; Meredith, P. G.; Iturrieta, P.; Perez-Estay, N.; Marshall, N. R.; Smith, J.; Yanez, G.; Ashley Griffith, W.; Marquardt, C.; Stanton-Yonge, A.; Nunez, R.In active volcanic arcs such as the Andean volcanic mountain belt, magmatically sourced fluids are channeled through the brittle crust by faults and fracture networks. In the Andes, volcanoes, geothermal springs, and major mineral deposits have a spatial and genetic relationship with NNE trending, margin-parallel faults and margin-oblique, NW trending Andean Transverse Faults (ATF). The Tinguiririca and Planchon-Peteroa volcanoes in the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) demonstrate this relationship, as their spatially associated thermal springs show strike alignment to the NNE oriented El Fierro Thrust Fault System. We constrain the fault system architecture and its interaction with volcanically sourced hydrothermal fluids using a combined magnetotelluric (MT) and seismic survey that was deployed for 20 months. High-conductivity zones are located along the axis of the active volcanic chain, delineating fluids and/or melt. A distinct WNW trending cluster of seismicity correlates with resistivity contrasts, considered to be a reactivated ATF. Seismicity occurs below 4 km, suggesting activity is limited to basement rocks, and the cessation of seismicity at 9 km delineates the local brittle-ductile transition. As seismicity is not seen west of the El Fierro fault, we hypothesize that this structure plays a key role in compartmentalizing magmatically derived hydrothermal fluids to the east, where the fault zone acts as a barrier to cross-fault fluid migration and channels fault-parallel fluid flow to the surface from depth. Increases in fluid pressure above hydrostatic may facilitate reactivation. This site-specific case study provides the first three-dimensional seismic and MT observations of the mechanics behind the reactivation of an ATF.
- ItemScaling of fault damage zones with displacement and the implications for fault growth processes(AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION, 2011) Faulkner, D. R.; Mitchell, T. M.; Jensen, E.; Cembrano, J.Knowledge of the spatial extent of damage surrounding fault zones is important for understanding crustal fluid flow and also for understanding the physical processes and mechanics by which fault zones develop with slip. There are few data available on the scaling of the fault damage zone with fault displacement, and of those that exist, deriving scaling relationships is hampered by comparing faults that run through different lithologies, have formed at different crustal depths or tectonic regimes (e. g., normal versus strike-slip movement). We describe new data on the microfracture damage zone width from small displacement fault zones within the Atacama fault zone in northern Chile that formed at similar to 6 km depth within a dioritic protolith. The microfracture damage zone is shown by an alteration halo surrounding the faults in which the density of the microfractures is much greater than background levels in the undeformed protolith. The data show that damage zone width increases with fault displacement and there appears to be a zero intercept to this relationship, meaning that at zero displacement, there is no microfracture damage zone. This is supported by field observations at fault tips that show a tapering out of fault damage zones. These data, combined with data from the literature, indicate that this same relationship might hold for much larger displacement faults. There is also a distinct asymmetry to the fracture damage. Several processes for the development of the observed scaling are discussed. The widely accepted theory of a process zone predicts that fault damage zone width increases with fault length and thus should always be largest at a propagating fault tip where displacement is lowest. This prediction is opposite to that seen in the current data set, leading to suggestion that other processes, such as damage zone growth with increasing displacement due to geometric irregularities or coseismic damage formation might better explain the spatial extent of damage surrounding even low-displacement faults.
- ItemThe fluid-driven tectonic swarm of Aysen Fjord, Chile (2007) associated with two earthquakes (Mw=6.1 and Mw=6.2) within the Liquine-Ofqui Fault Zone(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2011) Legrand, D.; Barrientos, S.; Bataille, K.; Cembrano, J.; Pavez, A.A seismic swarm of more than 7200 earthquakes occurred in Aysen Fjord, southern Chile, from January to June 2007. It started suddenly on 23 January 2007 with an earthquake of magnitude Mw=5.3, followed by five earthquakes with magnitudes increasing from Mw=5.2 to 6.2 within three months. Two large earthquakes of magnitudes Mw=6.1 and 6.2 occurred on 02 and 21 April 2007, respectively. The latest earthquake generated landslides that induced a tsunami within the ford, killing 10 people. This swarm has been examined using international seismic catalogues and seismicity located with a local seismic network; in particular its double tectonic and volcanic origin has been explored. All the focal mechanisms are compatible with the long- and short-term tectonics of the Liquine-Ofqui Fault Zone, a major intra-arc fault system of the Patagonian fjord land. The space, time, and size distributions of these earthquakes, that occurred within an active volcanic area revealed by the presence of several Holocene monogenetic volcanoes, may be explained both by fluid-induced (magma and/or hydrothermal fluids) activity combined with tectonic activity. The co-existence of these two tectonic and volcanic phenomena is a good example of retroactive links between fluids and tectonic fractures. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.