Focal mechanisms of intraplate earthquakes in Bolivia, South America

Abstract

Intraplate seismic activity in Bolivia is mainly located in the central region (16°–19°S, 63°—67°W) which includes the East Andean Cordillera and the Sub-Andean Sierras. At this region there is a bend in the trend of the main geological structures from NW-SE in the north to N-S in the south. Focal mechanisms have been calculated for 10 earthquakes of magnitudes 4.9—5.6, using first motion P-waves from long period instruments. Their solutions correspond to reverse faulting, some with a large component of strike-slip motion. Their solutions can be grouped into two types; one with pure reverse faulting on planes with azimuth NW-SE and the other with a large strike-slip component on planes with azimuths nearly N-S or WNW-ESE. The maximum stress axis (P-axis) is practically horizontal (dipping less than 5°) oriented in a mean N56°E direction. This orientation may be related with the direction of compression resulting from the collision of the Nazca plate against the western margin of the South American continent. Wave-form analysis of long-period P-waves for one event restricts the focal depth to 8 km in the Sub-Andean region. Seismic moments and source dimensions determined from spectra of Rayleigh waves are in the range of 1016-1017Nm and 17–24 km, respectively. The Central Bolivia region can be considered as a zone of intraplate deformation situated between the Bolivian Altiplano and the Brazil shield.