Structure of the Tshirege Member of the Bandelier Tuff at Mesita del Buey, Technical Area 54, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Technical Report · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1925· OSTI ID:1925

LaDelfe, Carol ^[1]; Broxton, David E; Carney, John S; Reneau, Steven L

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1. LANL

The geological structure of the Tshirege Member of the Bandelier Tuff at Mesita del Buey, Technical Area 54, was examined using precise surveying of the contact between tuff units Iv and 2 for 3.5 km along the north wall of Pajarito Canyon and 0.6 km along the north wall of a tributary to Caiiada del Buey. Estimated structure contours on this contact indicate typical strikes of N40E to N70E along this part of Mesita del Buey, although the apparent stfike of the tuff is E-W at the western part of the survey. Typical dips are 1.OO to 2.0o to the east or southeast, with an estimated maximum dip of 3.2o near the west end of Material Disposal AreaG. Thirty seven faults with vertical displacements of 5 to 65 cm were observedin outcrops along the Pajarito Canyon traverse, and, due to the incomplete exposure of the contact between unit lV and unit 2, many more faults of this magnitude undoubtedly exist. The faults have a wide range in strike and have either down-to-the-west or down-to-the-east components of offset, although about 65% of the observed displacement is down-to-the-west or northwest. The general absence of larger-scale offsets or inflections along the contact between units lV and 2 in areas where the small-scale faults were observed suggests that they are not associated with major fault zones. Instead, these faults may record distributed secondary deformation across the Pajarito Plateau associated with large earthquakes on the main Pajarito fault zone 8 to 11 km to the west, or perhaps earthquakes on other faults in the region. The survey data also suggest that a 150 to 250 m wide zone of greater magnitude faulting is present near the west end of the traverse associated with a horst-and-graben structure displaying about 1.5 to 3.5 m of offset on individual faults, although the total amount of offset across this structure and its orientation are not known.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 1925
• Report Number(s): LA-13538-MS; ON: DE00001925
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
Geologic Structures
Geologic Surveys
Tuff