Propagation of strike-slip faults across Holocene volcano-sedimentary deposits, Pasto, Colombia

This study contributes to the understanding of shear failure development on the basis of macroscopic field data collected in latest Pleistocene–Holocene pyroclastic and fluvio-lacustrine deposits in the Pasto Valley, SW Colombia. Here there is a pervasive system of microfaults and joints. Right-lateral strike-slip microfaults strike N065°, whereas left-lateral strike-slip microfaults strike N120°. Three main joint sets strike N, N065° and N020° in decreasing order of frequency. Stress computation gives a horizontal σ1 trending ∼N060° and a horizontal σ3 trending ∼N150°, consistent with earthquake focal mechanisms and stress inversion of main faults. Synthetic shears dominate resulting from nucleation of older cracks. In the basement cropping out northeast of Pasto, the NE- to ENE-striking Buesaco, Aranda and Pasto Faults show evidence of latest Pleistocene–Holocene right-lateral strike-slip motions. The structures in the Pasto Valley can be interpreted as a Mode III damage zone representing the up-dip propagation of the main faults across the young volcano-sedimentary deposits.