Chapter 38 - Interaction between inverted normal and reverse faults in the inner forearc of the Central Andes: an example from the Salar de Atacama Basin

Abstract

In this chapter, we present seismic evidence of the interaction between inverted normal faults and reverse faults under the southern Salar de Atacama Basin in the western Central Andes of northern Chile. The chapter starts by presenting a summary of the main tectonic mechanism proposed by several authors to explain the structure of the basin, as well as a regional-scale perspective of the geological context for the region. Then, we present a detailed description of the type of the seismic data used, and the workflow and seismic criteria applied to perform the structural interpretation. We also described the main seismic and geological characteristic of the first-order structural styles recognized in the study area, following the identification of some key stratigraphic and structural elements that finally allowed us to propose the presence of both inverted normal faults and reverse faults. In the last section of the chapter, we propose a tectonic evolution of the study region, considering the interpretations of the different structures previously presented.