Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault

The Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault is major geological fault^[1] that runs a length of roughly 1000 km in a north-south direction and exhibits current seismicity.^[2] It is located in the Chilean Northern Patagonian Andes. It is a dextral intra-arc transform fault. When considered a fault zone, the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Zone (LOFZ) might include other neighboring faults such as Reigolil-Pirihueico Fault.

As the name implies it runs from the Liquiñe Valley hot springs in the north to the Ofqui Isthmus in the south, where the Antarctic Plate meets the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate in Chile Triple Junction. A large part of the fault runs along the Moraleda Channel. North of Liquiñe the fault is gradually converted into a compression area. At Quetrupillán volcano the fault is crossed by the Mocha-Villarrica Fault Zone (MVFZ). It may be classified as a dextral intra-arc transform fault.

The fault name was coined by Francisco Hervé, I. Fuenzalida, E. Araya and A. Solano in 1979.^[3] The fault itself was first inferred by Chilean government agent Hans Steffen around 1900 who referred to it as a "tectonic furrow" (Spanish: surco tectónico).^[3]

References

Geology of Chile
Terranes	Arequipa-Antofalla Chilenia Chiloé Cuyania Fitz Roy Madre de Dios Mejillonia Patagonia
Sedimentary formations and groups	Cenozoic Abanico Formation Azapa Formation Caleta Herradura Formation Cola de Zorro Formation Coquimbo Formation Cura-Mallín Formation Estratos de Pupunahue Estratos de San Pedro Farellones Formation Lacui Formation La Portada Formation Lebu Group Malleco Formation Navidad Formation Oxaya Formation Ranquil Formation Santo Domingo Formation Traiguén Formation Trapa-Trapa Formation Tubul Formation Mesozoic La Negra Formation Pan de Azúcar Formation Quiriquina Formation Tobífera Formation Toqui Formation Vinita Formation Way Group Zapata Formation
Batholiths	Coastal Batholith of central Chile Elqui-Limarí Batholith North Patagonian Batholith Panguipulli Batholith South Patagonian Batholith Tierra del Fuego Batholith Vicuña Mackenna Batholith
Metamorphic complexes	Bahía Mansa Metamorphic Complex Belén Metamorphic Complex Chañaral Epimetamorphic Complex Choapa Metamorphic Complex Chonos Metamorphic Complex Cordillera Darwin Metamorphic Complex Eastern Andes Metamorphic Complex Puerto Edén Igneous and Metamorphic Complex Punta de Choros Metamorphic Complex Quebrada del Carrizo Metamorphic Complex Trafún Metamorphic Complex Tierra del Fuego Igneous and Metamorphic Complex
Faults	Atacama Fault Domeyko Fault Futrono Fault Gastre Fault Lanalhue Fault Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Magallanes-Fagnano Fault Pichilemu Fault Reigolil-Pirihueico Fault San Ramón Fault Valeriano Fault