El Tambor Fault

The El Tambor Fault (Spanish: Falla El Tambor) is an inactive dextral oblique thrust fault in the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca in Colombia. The fault has a total length of 117.5 kilometres (73.0 mi) and runs along an average northeast to southwest strike of 026.1 ± 09 to the west of the Western Ranges of the Colombian Andes.

El Tambor Fault
Falla El Tambor
Etymology	Cerro El Tambor
Coordinates	02°46′04″N 77°18′20″W
Country	Colombia
Region	Pacific/Chocó
State	Cauca, Valle del Cauca
Characteristics
Range	Western Ranges, Andes
Part of	Andean oblique faults
Length	117.5 km (73.0 mi)
Strike	026.1 ± 09
Dip	East
Dip angle	High
Displacement	<0.2 mm (0.0079 in)/yr
Tectonics
Plate	North Andean
Status	Inactive
Type	Oblique thrust fault
Movement	Dextral reverse
Age	Quaternary
Orogeny	Andean

Etymology

The fault is named after Cerro El Tambor, Timbiquí, Cauca.[1][2]

Description

The El Tambor Fault borders the western slope of the Western Ranges of the Colombian Andes, west of the Farallones de Cali.[3] Through most of its trace, the fault places Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks on the east, against Neogene rocks on the west, which commonly crops out across most of the plains of the Pacific Coast. The fault displays strong linear topographic features, tectonic control of drainage, and deflected stream channels and was active in the Late Pleistocene or Early Holocene.[4]

See also

• List of earthquakes in Colombia
• Romeral Fault System

References

1. Mapa Geológico de Cauca, 1979
2. Paris et al., 2000a, p.53
3. Paris et al., 2000b
4. Paris et al., 2000a, p.54

Bibliography

• Paris, Gabriel; Michael N. Machette; Richard L. Dart, and Kathleen M. Haller. 2000a. Map and Database of Quaternary Faults and Folds in Colombia and its Offshore Regions, 1–66. USGS. Accessed 2017-09-18.

Maps

• Marín, P.; G. Paris; A. Orrego, and M.E. López. 1979. Mapa Geológico de Cauca 1:350,000, 1. INGEOMINAS. Accessed 2017-09-21.
• Paris, Gabriel; Michael N. Machette; Richard L. Dart, and Kathleen M. Haller. 2000b. Map of Quaternary Faults and Folds of Colombia and Its Offshore Regions, 1. USGS. Accessed 2017-09-18.