Criteria to distinguish neotectonic from other active faults: Examples from the Central Pyrenees
Keywords:
neotectonics, non-tectonic faults, composite fault, active deformationAbstract
In several settings, such us the high mountain environment or the karstic terrains, active faults might be the resultof non-tectonic processes. Neotectonic and non-tectonic processes causing faulting can be grouped under the term“active deformation”. To characterize the seismogenic potential of a fault and, thus, its associated seismic hazard,it is necessary to determine the causes of its activity. However, the nature of the deformation along a faults is,often, not obviuos. To deal with this problem, a number of criteria have been reviewed and proposed in order toconstitute a working-guide to determine the origin of faulting. Two examples of the Maladeta massif (SpanishCentral Pyrenees) illustrate how very different processes are capable to generate similar scarp-forms and how onesingle fault scarp might be the result of their simultaneous interaction.Downloads
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