Combined structural and magnetotelluric investigation across the west fault zone in northern Chile [Elektronische Ressource] / Geoforschungszentrum Potsdam. Arne Hoffmann-Rothe

ISSN 1610-0956 Combined structural and magnetotelluric investigation acrossthe West Fault Zone in northern ChileDissertationzur Erlangung des akademischen GradesDoktor der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.)in der Wissenschaftsdisziplin Geowissenschafteneingereicht an derMathematisch Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultätder Universität PotsdamArne Hoffmann RothePotsdam, April 2002IAbstractThe characterisation of the internal architecture of large scale fault zones is usually restricted to theoutcrop based investigation of fault related structural damage on the Earth’s surface. A method toobtain information on the downward continuation of a fault is to image the subsurface electricalconductivity structure.This work deals with such a combined investigation of a segment of the West Fault, which itselfis a part of the more than 2000 km long trench linked Precordilleran Fault System in the northernChilean Andes. Activity on the fault system lasted from Eocene to Quaternary times. In the working◦ ◦area (22 04’ S, 68 53’W), the West Fault exhibits a clearly defined surface trace with a constant strikeover many tens of kilometers. Outcrop condition and morphology of the study area allow ideallyfor a combination of structural geology investigation and magnetotelluric (MT) / geomagnetic depthsounding (GDS) experiments.