Mulato-Getudo Fault

The Mulato-Getudo or Mulato-Jetudo Fault (Spanish: Falla de Mulato-Jetudo) is a sinistral oblique thrust fault in the departments of Tolima, Caldas and Antioquia in central Colombia. The fault has a total length of 187.3 kilometres (116.4 mi) and runs along an average north-northeast to south-southwest strike of 016.7 ± 9 in the Middle Magdalena Valley and along the western foothills of the Central Ranges of the Colombian Andes.

Mulato-Getudo Fault
Mulato-Jetudo Fault, Falla de Mulato-Jetudo
Etymology	Mulatos & Jetudo Rivers
Coordinates	05°20′35″N 74°51′23″W
Country	Colombia
Region	Andean
State	Antioquia, Caldas, Tolima
Cities	Mariquita
Characteristics
Range	Central Ranges, Andes
Part of	Andean oblique faults
Length	187.3 km (116.4 mi)
Strike	016.7 ± 9
Dip	West
Dip angle	High to medium
Displacement	<0.2 mm (0.0079 in)/yr
Tectonics
Plate	North Andean
Status	Inactive
Type	Oblique thrust fault
Movement	Reverse sinistral
Age	Quaternary
Orogeny	Andean

Etymology

The fault is named after the Mulatos and Jetudo Rivers, left tributaries of the Magdalena River.

Description

The Mulato-Getudo Fault, in some parts called Jetudo Fault, extends along the eastern foothills of the Central Ranges of the Colombian Andes, where it marks the abrupt break in slope of the east-tilted Tertiary erosion surface of the Cordillera and the flat alluvial plains of the Magdalena River in the Middle Magdalena Valley. The fault forms a regional-scale degraded fault escarpment with an outstanding break in slope. It offsets Pliocene to Quaternary deposits and an extensive tilted erosional surface of probable Miocene to Pliocene age (pre-Mesa Formation, older than 1.5 Ma). The northern half of the fault is characterised by aligned drainages and broad valleys. The fault possibly underlies the Honda Group south of the La Miel River.

See also

• List of earthquakes in Colombia
• Cimitarra Fault
• Ibagué Fault
• Romeral Fault System

References

Bibliography

• Paris, Gabriel; Machette, Michael N.; Dart, Richard L.; Haller, Kathleen M. (2000a), Map and Database of Quaternary Faults and Folds in Colombia and its Offshore Regions (PDF), USGS, pp. 1–66, retrieved 2017-09-18

Maps

• Barrero L., Darío; Vesga O, Carlos J. (2009), Plancha 188 - La Dorada - 1:100,000, INGEOMINAS, p. 1, retrieved 2017-06-06
• Gómez, J.; Montes, N.E.; Nivia, Á.; Diederix, H. (2015), Plancha 5-09 del Atlas Geológico de Colombia 2015 – 1:500,000, Servicio Geológico Colombiano, p. 1, retrieved 2017-06-06
• Paris, Gabriel; Machette, Michael N.; Dart, Richard L.; Haller, Kathleen M. (2000b), Map of Quaternary Faults and Folds of Colombia and Its Offshore Regions (PDF), USGS, p. 1, retrieved 2017-09-18

Further reading

• Page, W.D (1986), Seismic geology and seismicity of Northwestern Colombia, San Francisco, California, Woodward-Clyde Consultants Report for ISA and Integral Ltda., Medellín, pp. 1–200