Murindó Fault Explained

Murindó Fault
Other Name:Falla Murindó
Namedfor:Murindó
Pushpin Map:Colombia
Pushpin Relief:1
Region:Pacific/Chocó
State:Antioquia, Chocó
Cities:Dabeiba
Coordinates:6.7653°N -76.6533°W
Range:Chocó Basin, Western Ranges, Andes
Part Of:Andean strike-slip faults
Length:60.6km (37.7miles)
Strike:347.4 ± 6
Dip:East
Dip Angle:High
Displacement:0.2-/yr
Plate:North Andean
Status:Active
Earthquakes:18 October 1992 (MW 7.3)
Type:Strike-slip fault
Movement:Sinistral
Age:Quaternary
Orogeny:Andean

The Murindó Fault (Spanish; Castilian: Falla Murindó) is a strike-slip fault in the department of Antioquia and Chocó in northwestern Colombia. The fault has a total length of 60.6km (37.7miles) and runs along an average north-northwest to south-southeast strike of 347.4 ± 6 in the Chocó Basin along the western edge of the Western Ranges of the Colombian Andes.

Etymology

The fault is named after Murindó.[1]

Description

The fault in the Chocó Basin extends along the western slope of the Western Ranges of the Colombian Andes, from the Arquia River in the south to the Río Sucio and the basin of the Atrato River in the north. The Murindó Fault places Cretaceous volcanic (basic) rocks against Tertiary turbidites, and crosscuts Tertiary quartz-diorite and granodiorite.[1] The Murindó River flows along the Murindó Fault near Murindó.[2] The fault underlies the municipalities of Dabeiba and Frontino.[3] To the south, the fault runs parallel to the Mutatá and Encarnación Faults.[4] [5]

In the southernmost part, the fault shows evidence of tectonic control of streams. It also forms aligned saddles that face toward the mountain front. The fault is active with an approximate slip rate of 0.2mm1mm per year, and caused the 1992 Murindó earthquake (MW 7.3) on October 18. A foreshock of 6.7 was registered the day before. Many earthquakes that occurred since 1883 in the region are associated with the Murindó Fault.[6]

See also

References

Bibliography

Maps

Notes and References

  1. Paris et al., 2000, p.14
  2. Plancha 113, 2007
  3. Plancha 128, 2002
  4. Plancha 129, 2002
  5. Plancha 145, 2002
  6. Paris et al., 2000, p.15