Boconó Fault

The Boconó Fault is a complex of geological faults located in the Eastern Ranges of northeastern Colombia and the Mérida Andes of northwestern Venezuela. The fault has a NE-SW orientation; it is a strike-slip fault and has a dextral relative movement.[1] It extends over a length of 500 kilometres (310 mi). The fault, with a slip rate ranging from 4.3 to 6.1 millimetres (0.17 to 0.24 in) per year, has been active since the Early Holocene and earthquakes of 1610 and 1894 are associated with it.[2]

Boconó Fault
Falla Boconó
Location of the fault in Venezuela
Etymology	Boconó, Trujillo
Location	Northern South America
Coordinates	9°15′N 70°16′W
Country	Colombia  Venezuela
Region	Andean
State	Norte de Santander, Santander Mérida, Táchira
Cities	Cúcuta
Characteristics
Range	Mérida Andes, Eastern Ranges
Part of	Boconó-San Sebastián-El Pilar Fault System
Length	500 km (310 mi)
Strike	NE-SW
Displacement	4.3–6.1 mm (0.17–0.24 in)/yr
Tectonics
Plate	South American
Status	Active
Earthquakes	1610, 1894
Type	Strike-slip fault
Movement	Dextral
Age	Holocene
Orogeny	Andean

References

1. Audemard et al., 2006
2. Audemard, 1997

Bibliography

• Audemard M., Franck A.; Singer P., André; Soulas, Jean-Pierre (2006). "Quaternary faults and stress regime of Venezuela" (PDF). Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina. Asociación Geológica Argentina. 61 (4): 480–491. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
• Audemard Mennessier, Franck A. (1997). "Holocene and historical earthquakes on the Boconó fault system, Southern Venezuelan Andes: Trench confirmation". Journal of Geodynamics. 24 (1–4): 155–167. doi:10.1016/S0264-3707(96)00037-3. Retrieved 2017-06-22.

Further reading

• Paris, Gabriel; Machette, Michael N.; Dart, Richard L.; Haller, Kathleen M. (2000). Map and Database of Quaternary Faults and Folds in Colombia and its Offshore Regions (PDF). USGS. pp. 1–66. Retrieved 2017-06-20.